John Middleton AM KC will commence with the firm in March
DLA Piper has snapped up recently retired Federal Court justice John Middleton AM KC as a senior advisor.
Middleton will commence with the firm in March, working from Melbourne. The judge had been on the bench for 16 years before stepping down in December last year.
“After decades of distinguished public service, we are thrilled The Hon. John Middleton has chosen DLA Piper for the next chapter of his incredible career. John will be a great asset to our clients on strategic litigation and class action advice”, Australia managing partner Amber Matthews said.
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Middleton will be focused on guiding major public and private sector clients in relation to investigations, class actions and inquiries as part of DLA Piper’s litigation and regulatory team.
“When a board of directors needs senior counsel on a major inquiry, John will spearhead that effort”, Matthews explained.
Middleton said that he was drawn to DLA Piper for “their fearless work on big ticket litigation, whether that’s acting for a foreign government, listed corporations or government”. He shared that he was eager to become part of the firm’s involvement with the Pacific nations, which includes offering pro bono services.
“From my years spent on the bench, DLA Piper has been the standout in commercial litigation. It’s refreshening approach to clients, alongside global reach, shows an innovative approach to law, which is essential at this time”, he said.
In addition to his tenure as Federal Court judge, Middleton presided over the Australian Competition Tribunal for the past six years. He was previously part-time commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission, and received the distinction of Member of the Order of Australia last June for his services to the judiciary and to the law.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, and was named a QC for Victoria in 1991.
Earlier this month, DLA Piper also appointed former US Senator Richard Burr to its regulatory and government affairs practice group.