Aussie expansion for international firm
Hogan Lovells has announced an expansion of its Australian team with the hire of four partners. The international firm has used the announcement to reiterate its intentions to grow in the region.
The four partners are:
Equity specialist Andrew Crook, who joins from Gilbert + Tobin in Sydney and was previously with
Russell McVeagh in New Zealand, Freshfields in Singapore and Skadden in London.
Scott Harris, current head of the Australian restructuring group of
DLA Piper, based in Sydney. Harris spent five years with Hogan Lovells in London before returning to Sydney with Henry Davis York and then
DLA Piper.
Finance partner Richard Hayes, joining from King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney. He has also been with Allen & Overy in London and White & Case in New York.
Ros O’Mally, project finance specialist, who joins from Gilbert + Tobin in Sydney. Her experience includes Merrill Lynch, Clayton Utz and
Herbert Smith Freehills.
They join Hogan Lovell Australia’s founding partners, Tim Lester and Nicky Lester.
M&A activity in Australia set to increase says law firm
The Australian M&A market is set to see increased competition this year according to a new report by Norton Rose Fulbright. That’s despite a decrease in foreign buyers in 2015 (30 per cent) compared to 2014 (52 per cent). US buyers made up 36 per cent of the deals sampled for the report with Chinese buyers involved in 28 per cent.
Last year saw a switch away from mining and resources deals to those focussed on the infrastructure, consumer markets, agribusiness, healthcare, and technology and innovation industries.
There was also a sharp rise in deals conducted using a competitive sale process, as opposed to exclusive negotiations, as the market became a friendly environment for sellers.
Linklaters names new practice heads
International firm Linklaters has named new global co-heads for its restructuring and insolvency practice. Rebecca Jarvis and Richard Bussell begin their four-year terms immediately and succeed Tony Bugg who was recently appointed global head of the banking practice.
