The end of 2014 saw two Legal Business 100 firms open international offices targeting new markets. Private client leader Withers launched in Australia, creating Withers SBL through an alliance with Sydney tax practice Balazs Lazanas & Welch (BLW) and Melbourne-based corporate boutique SBL Shmith, while Penningtons Manches set its sights on the US with the opening of its first overseas office in San Francisco’s financial district.
Withers has hired immigration law partner Rita Chowdhury to head up, on its side, the alliance with its Australian partners BLW, which was established in 2009 by three former Baker & McKenzie tax partners and SBL Shmith, a Melbourne boutique led by former Ashurst corporate partner Justin Shmith.
Withers managing director Margaret Robertson said: ‘Australia is a natural choice for the expansion of our international office network, principally due to its own economic strengths, substantial volume of private capital and its important position in the wider Asia-Pacific region.
‘We have been monitoring the market for several years and have known and had a strong working relationship with BLW for a long time. Bringing tax and estate planning, corporate and immigration advice together under the Withers SBL alliance banner was too good an opportunity to miss out on and, in the event, the creation of the alliance was fairly easy to progress and finalise.’
She added: ‘Australia is a very attractive jurisdiction for wealthy Asian families looking for a country with a strong and established rule of law, high-quality education sector and stability.’
Meanwhile, it’s been little over a year since the high-profile takeover of Manches by Penningtons, but the combined firm is keen on further expansion and in December confirmed the opening of its first overseas office in San Francisco.
The venture, led by corporate and technology partner James Klein and IP/IT partner Hamish Corner, will provide English law to US businesses, in particular technology-focused companies undertaking corporate activity in the UK and Europe.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk