Mr Gurnet, who is an intellectual property expert, has been made a partner in Sydney.

Ms Wijesena and Ms Cowper step into special counsel roles within Bird & Bird’s IP and competition teams respectively.  

Meanwhile, Mr Mulcahy has been appointed as a senior associate within the dispute resolution practice.

In a statement released by Bird & Bird Australia, managing partner Shane Barber said that the promotion of four locals was a sign of the firm’s growth.

"The promotions are richly deserved and are testament to the calibre of our team which continues to grow,” Mr Barber said.

Mr Barber went on to describe Bird & Bird’s Australian office as having “deep reserves of expertise and experience” across the practice groups.

The new partners in Sydney will serve clients based in Australia, but also regularly collaborate with international colleagues to also cater to Bird & Bird clients around the world.

“We have continued to build our legal talent internationally and in Australia, allowing us successfully to meet the needs of our clients which are overwhelmingly focused on innovation and participating in the emerging and knowledge economies,” he said.