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Leading firm promotes 6 to partnership
A major, Australian BigLaw firm has promoted six new partners across two city offices as part of a global partnership promotion round.
Naomi Neilson
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has promoted corporate partners Neena Aynsley and Timothy Stutt, projects partner Daniel Ficyk and dispute partners Emma Iles, Mark Smyth and Christine Wong across its Sydney and Melbourne offices.
“I’d like to congratulate these six Australian lawyers on their elevation to the firm’s global partnership. These exceptional practitioners possess the keen commercial and strategic insights, industry expertise and leadership skills that our clients have come to expect from Herbert Smith Freehills. I wish them success as they embark on this new stage of their careers.”
New corporate partner Ms Aynsley has significant expertise in the energy, resources and infrastructure sectors and her experience includes advising on large-scale projects, equity investments, joint ventures, acquisitions, divestments and commercial contracts within Australian and international spaces.
Joining her in Melbourne is Ms Iles who specialises in intellectual property and has extensive experience in both advisory and contentious matters, including multi-jurisdictional patent disputes and international arbitrations.
New Sydney projects partner Mr Ficyk has significant experience advising market-leading developers, investors and financiers in relation to the procurement, delivery and operation of major energy, construction and infrastructure projects. His practice spans clean and renewable energy technologies as well as oil and gas.
Disputes partner Mr Smyth is an experienced litigator who regularly advises clients on strategic contentious matters and focuses on regulatory disputes, investigations, inquiries and public law. He has worked across the firm’s global network, including a secondment spent in the firm’s London office.
Mr Stutt has been promoted to the ESG and head office advisory practice, where he is the lead for HSF’s Australian ESG, sustainability and responsible business practice and is also the senior member of the firm’s office advisory team. He specialises in corporate governance and has over a decade of experience in helping large corporations with board advice, market disclosure and risk management.
Disputes partner Ms Wong will continue to advise clients on significant regulatory, white-collar crime and commercial dispute matters. She is also a part of the firm’s cross-practice and cyber-security offering.
HSF chief executive Justin D'Agostino said that the skills of all 23 new partners across 13 cities in its international network reflect the firm’s traditional strengths and its legal innovation in areas such as ESG, energy transition and human rights.
“Their selection also demonstrates our ongoing ambition to provide clients with the very best insights and legal services to help them navigate the challenges of the new business environment. I congratulate them all on their success in joining the partnership and look forward to their continued contribution,” he said.
Naomi Neilson
Naomi Neilson is a senior journalist with a focus on court reporting for Lawyers Weekly.
You can email Naomi at:
