Chief executive of the firm, Guy Templeton, said Minter Ellison was assigning specialist lawyers from Australia and overseas to work with the Office of Access Card.

“Minter Ellison’s team draws upon its experience in providing legal services to the Commonwealth and from working on a large number of significant technology projects, including card projects, in Australia and Hong Kong,” Templeton said.

Oliver Barrett, partner and head of Minter Ellison’s technology practice, will lead the team, drawing on support from major international law firm, Herbert Smith LLP. Barrett is a senior technology lawyer with over 25 years of experience, and was named as a ‘leading individual’ for TMT: Information Technology (Australia section) by Chambers Global 2006. He was also listed in the last edition of Asia Pacific Legal 500 (Australia section) as a ‘leading individual’ for IT and telecoms.

Barrett advises a broad client base of private and public sector organisations, with a focus on systems integration and eCommerce as well as payment and smart card systems. He has a particular interest in the business processing aspects of technology platforms.

Joining Barrett’s team from the firm will be partner Russell Miller AM, who has been a strategic advisor to government for over 20 years. Miller has previously been involved with the successful delivery of large infrastructure projects, along with serving on numerous government boards and authorities.

Christopher Rees, partner with Herbert Smith LLP and leader of the firm’s technology group will provide an international viewpoint. He has relevant smart card and major project experience, and was named by Euromoney magazine as one of the three leading IT lawyers in the world in 2000.