It was announced yesterday (20 October) that the firm will be the Australian representative of L&E Global, an international alliance that provides counsel to employers on employment, labour, workplace privacy, employee benefits and immigration law.

"Our association with the calibre of law firms in the association is significant from our perspective," Harmers CEO and senior team leader Shana Schreier-Joffe told Lawyers Weekly. "It will also open up a huge referral capability from our perspective and give our clients the ability to come to us and say, 'We have an issue in one of these countries', and for us to say, 'No problem, here we go'."

L&E Global was started this year and currently has 11 member firms from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Spain and the USA.

Schreier-Joffe said L&E Global approached Harmers to join the network, and a nominal fee was paid as part of its membership.

In August, New Zealand firm Swarbrick Beck Mackinnon joined the alliance, which includes the 46 office-strong American firm Jackson Lewis LLP.

Only one firm per jurisdiction is granted membership.