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HSF v White & Case settlement handed down
The Supreme Court of NSW has approved the settlement agreement between eight departing partners at White & Case and their former employer Herbert Smith Freehills.
Emma Musgrave
Herbert Smith Freehills has announced it has achieved a settlement with the defendants, whereby current interlocutory injunctions against them have been made permanent, meaning they are unable to officially join White & Case as partners until after 1 September 2017. This coincides with the 12-month anniversary of their collective resignations.
“We are pleased to announce we have reached a settlement in our proceedings,” said a spokesperson for Herbert Smith Freehills.
“Under the settlement terms the current interlocutory injunctions will be made final.
“We are happy to bring this matter to a conclusion.”
A White & Case spokesperson echoed this sentiment.
“We are pleased that the parties have reached a settlement and that the matter has been resolved. All involved have agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential," the spokesperson said.
"The current interlocutory injunctions have been made final by the court and will continue to 2 September 2017. We are extremely pleased that the eight lawyers were able to join the firm as of 2 March 2017 and are making a significant contribution to the firm and its clients.
"We are happy to bring this matter to conclusion.”
This latest news comes after Lawyers Weekly recently heard from White & Case in March about upcoming plans for its new Australian practices. The firm officially opened its doors to a Melbourne office on 1 December and a Sydney office on 7 March.
When speaking to Lawyers Weekly in early March, White & Case offered no direct response when asked if it planned to build out its Australian practice groups beyond finance, real estate and projects (FREP), however Lawyers Weekly notes the reference to “continued growth” in its answer about the ongoing proceedings.
“We’re glad that these individuals will join White & Case in the near future as we continue to grow our Australia practice,” the White & Case spokesperson said at the time, speaking about the departing HSF partners.
As of early March, White & Case LLP was advertising for associates roles in Sydney with its energy, infrastructure, project and asset finance (EIPAF) group. LinkedIn showed that at least 23 applicants have responded to the ad as of 7 March. The firm also listed a legal secretary’s vacancy in its Sydney office on LinkedIn.
Emma Musgrave
Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences.
Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University.
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