An elite American firm has lured a long-time partner from a top Australian firm in Sydney.
White & Case has appointed Max Bonnell as partner. He came from King & Wood Mallesons (
KWM), where he spent more than 22 years, more than 18 of them as a partner.
The move comes as the white-shoe firm, which already has the world’s largest international arbitration practice, doubles down on the practice’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.
Paul Friedland, White & Case’s global head of international arbitration, said that the firm’s “goal in Asia-Pacific, a growing market for international arbitration, is to expand the service we provide to our clients.”
He said that Bonnell is a top-ranked lawyer with a reputation and market profile that’s “invaluable” to the firm’s expansion of its arbitration practice in the Asia-Pacific region.
Bonnell started his legal career with Allen Allen & Hemsley in 1989. He moved to legacy Mallesons Stephen Jacques as a senior associate in 1995, and became partner at the firm in 1998.
He is focused on international arbitration and commercial litigation. His advises clients in various countries and industries, which includes telecommunications, mining, energy, financial services, engineering, and computer software. He is a fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration.
“These are exciting times for our business in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific region,” said partner Eric Berg, who leads the firm in the Asia-Pacific. “We now have more than 40 lawyers in our Melbourne and Sydney offices and Max, a recognised leader in arbitration, brings a practice that fits naturally with our project finance focus in Australia and with our wider disputes practice across the Asia-Pacific region.”
Max Bonnell
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