After much speculation, Pinsent Masons announced the launch of an infrastructure sector-focused practice in Melbourne and Sydney last month, with a formal opening planned for July.
The five-partner operation will be headed up by David Rennick, a former chief executive of Australian firm Maddocks, who had been analysing the local market for Pinsents since March 2014. He will be joined by partners Greg Campbell and Simela Karasavidis, who also come from Maddocks; as well as Michael Battye, a former Pinsents lawyer who set up QED Legal, a construction boutique in Adelaide; and Andrew Denton, a construction disputes partner at Pinsents who will relocate from its London office.
The five will be joined by Adam Perl, who comes from an in-house position at infrastructure company Leighton Contractors.
The firm plans to bolster the team with a further two laterals from the local market by the end of this year. Speaking to Legal Business, head of client strategy Alastair Morrison said: ‘We have got a very detailed three-year plan that we’ve looked at. There are five partners on the ground to start – we’ve modelled for a further two for this year and for the teams coming in to support that and then we will grow it beyond that. The laterals will be coming in through the Australian market. Effectively what we want is an integrated team but it is primarily an Australian law firm to service the Australian market.’
‘We have got a very detailed three-year plan that we’ve looked at.’
Alastair Morrison, Pinsent Masons
The practice will initially focus on the firm’s existing clients in infrastructure and projects, particularly those already served by its Asia-Pacific offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai. Morrison added: ‘It is a very focused offering for us around one of our sectors. We are not trying to be everything to everyone, we are not trying to take on all of the major firms across the piece. If that becomes successful and we do well there is scope for us. The energy sector would be the next most obvious play or our advanced manufacturing and technology sector or indeed our financial services sector.’
Australia’s legal market has seen a well-publicised invasion by foreign law firms since the 2010 entry of Norton Rose via a tie-up with Deacons Australia, and Ashurst and Herbert Smith going on to secure high-profile mergers. As recently as December, international private client firm Withers announced a move into Australia through a strategic alliance with two domestic firms.
kathryn.mccann@legalease.co.uk