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Queensland-based Mullins Lawyers has expanded its senior leadership team through two strategic appointments, bolstering its banking and finance and corporate practice areas.
Mullins Lawyers has bolstered its senior leadership team by appointing Yvonne O’Byrne as a partner for its corporate advisory and M&A team and naming Are Watne as head of its banking and finance team.
In a statement, the Queensland-based firm expressed how these two senior appointments align with its growth strategy and address increasing client demand for seamless legal support across finance, transactions, and corporate governance.
O’Byrne brings extensive corporate experience, having held senior roles at national firm Gadens and global firm Clyde & Co, and most recently, serving as a partner at Beauchamps LLP in Ireland.
She specialises in mergers and acquisitions, corporate advisory, and regulatory and governance matters, providing guidance across complex corporate transactions and compliance issues.
The firm noted that her appointment enhances its corporate practice, providing additional support to organisations managing increasingly complex regulatory and transactional challenges.
Pending Law Society approval, Watne will join Mullins as a partner, bringing experience from senior roles at Arnold Bloch Leibler, Clayton Utz, and HopgoodGanim, spanning both mid‑tier and major law firm environments.
He brings extensive knowledge in property and project finance, equity and structured finance, corporate debt transactions, and restructuring.
The Queensland-based firm expressed how Watne’s appointment will strengthen its capacity to advise on the growing second‑tier and non‑bank lending market, where clients are increasingly seeking flexible funding solutions.
Sam McIvor, managing partner at Mullins Lawyers, highlighted that the appointments reflect the firm’s strategic direction and evolving client needs, bringing the expertise and commercial focus required to navigate Queensland’s changing market.
“These appointments reflect the evolving needs of our clients and the strategic direction of our practice,” McIvor said.
“Are and Yvonne bring the depth of experience and commercial focus that align with the evolving Queensland market and our growth strategy.”
This news follows the firm elevating four lawyers to more senior roles across four of its core practice areas at the start of February, the addition of a seasoned commercial litigation and arbitration specialist as a partner at the end of July, and the hiring of a partner to its property team, who joined from global BigLaw firm Dentons at the end of May.
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