UK-BASED law firm Holman Fenwick Willan has officially opened its Perth office, three months after local recruit Julian Sher joined the firm.
The Perth office has three partners and seven staff, and is part of an Australian network that includes branches in Melbourne and Sydney.
Holman Fenwick was the first of the UK-based law firms to enter Australia, opening its Melbourne office in 2006.
It now has 60 people across its three Australian offices.
Several other UK-based law firms have subsequently moved into the Australian market, notably Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance and Norton Rose.
Mr Sher, whose prior roles include being managing partner of Corrs Chambers Westgarth in Perth, said he was excited by the opportunity after being approached to join Holman.
“We’re doing very complex work for big international clients,” he said.
Mr Sher, a commercial litigation lawyer, said the firm’s main point of difference was its knowledge of international trade and supply chains.
Foundation partners Hazel Brewer and James Donoghue have joined Mr Sher in Perth.
Ms Brewer, who specialises in international shipping and trade litigation, was previously a consultant with the firm based in Perth. She has also worked as a lawyer in Dubai and London.
Mr Donoghue, who has worked in the energy and resources sector for 20 years, joined Holman in 2010, having previously been a partner with Blake Dawson in Jakarta.
Founded in London in 1883, Holman is a fully integrated international practice.
Its international network includes offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE and continental Europe.
The firm has 130 partners and more than 280 lawyers worldwide, covering all aspects of international commerce including international transportation and logistics, energy exploration and production, mining, commodities trading and insurance and reinsurance.
