Australian firm Mills Oakley, having already strengthened its financial services and property bench with partners Tania Sibree and Randall Gerkens this month, has recruited another five new partners to its Sydney office, growing the partnership ranks to more than 170.
“Our growth strategy has always been focused on growth in Australia and that’s not going to change. But with a global legal services market worth about one trillion dollars in revenue and much of that coming from North America and the UK, our growth strategy includes being smart about how we source work from outside Australia,” John Nerurker, chief executive officer at Mills Oakley, told Asia Business Law Journal.
The new partners are Brendan Wykes, Greg Smith, Andy Milidoni, Shanna Kruger and Mike Ellis. Wykes, Milidoni and Ellis have international work backgrounds. While Wykes has handled international transactions as an M&A lawyer, Ellis has advised clients from multiple jurisdictions including Singapore, China, Malaysia and Germany. Milidoni has expertise in international taxes, too.
Nerurker said appointing partners with international work experience would better support clients in navigating complex cross-border matters.
“Mills Oakley is actively expanding our partnership ranks as part of a deliberate strategy to respond to client demand and market trends. This involves strengthening our national presence and diversifying our service offerings,” he said.
Smith, an M&A specialist with a focus on real assets, would also join the firm’s corporate advisory team from Baker McKenzie. Kruger, who specialises in property development with a focus on residential, commercial and industrial developments, will join the firm’s property team.
On the recent hires, Nerurker said his firm would be focusing on expanding their presence in high-growth areas, strengthening advisory capabilities and investing in innovation-driven legal solutions.
“We have several key initiatives underway, including enhanced cross-sector collaboration and targeted practice expansions to better serve our clients,” he said.
