NRF elevates six to partner

Choi, Kerry, Mills, and Shields are based in Sydney, while Milionis and Rouhani are in the Melbourne office.

Choi specializes in construction and engineering law. He advises developers, contractors, sub-contractors, and councils on domestic and international construction projects, with a focus on renewable energy, commercial, and data centre projects.

Choi boasts extensive experience in drafting and negotiating project-related agreements, including bespoke EPC contracts, and adapting and tailoring standard form contracts for the specific requirements of a project. He has also acted for clients in construction litigation matters and adjudications under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999.

Kerry is a corporate and commercial advisory lawyer. She works closely with clients primarily on life sciences and healthcare industries, and those who operate in consumer markets, including retailers, manufacturers, e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods, and leading Australian and international brands.

Kerry advises clients on manufacturing and supply, services, outsourcing, procurement and sponsorship arrangements, franchising, licensing and distribution, corporate governance, and consumer law issues. 

Milionis practises exclusively in work health and safety law. She advises clients on compliance issues, including the management of concurrent duties, incident notification obligations, drafting or amending procedures, and undertaking gap analysis and review of contractual terms. She provides training to organisations about safety and compliance obligations, and boards and officers in relation to due diligence obligations pursuant to safety legislation.

Milionis also advises clients during regulatory investigations to effectively manage the response to the exercise of investigatory powers and the issue of enforcement notices. She represents clients in prosecutions, and internal and external review of enforcement notices.

Mills boasts in-depth experience in international commercial arbitration and litigation, with a focus on complex disputes. She has acted as counsel in foreign and domestic-seated arbitrations, both ad hoc and under the major arbitral rules. She also has significant experience in enforcing arbitral awards in Australia.  

Mills regularly advises clients on effective dispute structuring and risk mitigation in commercial contracts and is effective at facilitating the early resolution of disputes through mediation and other ADR mechanisms. Her practice has a strong cross-border element, particularly across the Asia-Pacific region.

As a litigator, Mills has acted in a wide variety of commercial and corporate disputes, including shareholder class actions, contractual disputes, regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings and shareholder, joint venture, and director disputes. She is experienced at both trial and appellate level across various Australian jurisdictions and is well-versed in the practice and procedure of state and federal courts. Mills also has a depth of experience in mining and energy, having acted for both junior and established resource companies and energy majors, and clients in the financial services industry.

Rouhani is a litigation and regulatory enforcement lawyer with more than 15 years’ experience. He has managed disputes and regulatory investigations in over 20 jurisdictions. Rouhani has worked in private practice and in-house roles in Australia, the Middle East, and the UK. He has in-depth experience in providing clients with strategic advice on regulatory inquiries and investigations. His core areas of practice are anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, and governance and oversight. He also specialises in root-cause identification and remediation work.

Shields is an employment and labour lawyer, with extensive experience across all areas of employment, workplace relationships, and industrial relations law for public and private sector clients. She devotes her practice to workplace litigation, including discrimination, sexual harassment and equal opportunity claims, unfair and unlawful dismissals, and consumer law claims. She also has a strong government practice.

Shields regularly represents clients in conciliations and hearings in various jurisdictions. Her expertise includes strategic employment, discrimination, and industrial relations advice. She also advises on matters involving employee management and termination of employment strategies, workplace investigations, employment contracts and policies, and conducting workplace training, particularly in workplace behaviour and organisational cultural reviews.

Alison Deitz, NRF managing partner in Australia, expressed delight on the new senior appointments.

“The appointments of Steven, Maija, Nicki, Tamlyn, Rajaee, and Alexandra build on our record of promoting a culturally and gender diverse range of talent into our partnership,” she said. “I congratulate our new partners, who have proven themselves as skilled and trusted advisors, highly experienced in the industries in which their clients operate, and ideally placed to help them navigate the changes and opportunities ahead.”