Insurance specialist Stephanie Cook called the Sunshine State "a gateway to the APAC region"
Kennedys has launched a branch in Brisbane under the leadership of newly promoted partner Stephanie Cook.
The doors of the new office opened on Monday at 310 Edward Street.
“It is an ideal time to open an office in Brisbane – after a lengthy isolation from the rest of the world, and long periods of separation even from the rest of Australia, there is a genuine desire for many people to re-connect personally. Having a local presence in Brisbane enables us to do that with many of our insurance clients,” Cook explained.
The insurance specialist, who was made partner in a landmark promotions round at Kennedys back in May, described Queensland as “a gateway to the Asia Pacific region, making it extremely attractive to investors.”
“It is a huge state geographically, rich in natural resources, and home to many significant Australian companies and many of our clients have a geographic presence here,” Cook said. “Businesses operating in Queensland have flourished and, as we continue to take steps towards a more open post-COVID state, we expect the growth in industry and investment in Queensland to continue.”
She shared that the firm would be putting together a team that would be able to offer legal insights specific to the Queensland jurisdiction. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the uptick in population has generated new business opportunities, Kennedys said.
“The last two years of remote working gave us the opportunity to be nimble in our approach to working with clients. Many of our partners will travel to and from Brisbane regularly to work with our national insurer clients, all of whom have a presence here – it’s great to have a new base on the ground close to many of our valued clients,” Kennedys Australia managing partner Matt Andrews said.
He added that an expansion on the east coast has long been part of the firm’s growth strategy. The new office has also been designed with hybrid working arrangements in mind.
