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Former federal judge joins DLA Piper

A former justice of the Federal Court of Australia, who retired from the bench in December, will serve as a senior adviser for global law firm DLA Piper, advising on investigations, class actions and inquiries.

user iconJerome Doraisamy 23 February 2023 Big Law
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The Honourable John Middleton AM KC (pictured) — who sat on the bench of the Federal Court for 16 years before retiring late last year — is the newest senior adviser at DLA Piper, joining the global firm’s Melbourne office.

Mr Middleton will advise large public and private sector clients on investigations, class actions and inquiries.

“When a board of directors needs senior counsel on a major inquiry, John will spearhead that effort,” said DLA Piper Australian managing partner Amber Matthews.  

“John’s appointment bolsters our market-leading litigation and regulatory team and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to strategic litigation at a level where few firms compete.”

Mr Middleton added: “I was attracted to DLA Piper for their fearless work on big-ticket litigation, whether that’s acting for a foreign government, listed corporations or government.” 

“DLA Piper’s work (including pro bono work) in the Pacific nations is something I would like to become involved in, as part of Australia’s overall commitment in the region.”

“From my years spent on the bench, DLA Piper has been the standout in commercial litigation. Its refreshing approach to clients, alongside global reach, shows an innovative approach to law, which is essential at this time,” he said.

Mr Middleton has been the president of the Australian Competition Tribunal for the past six years and was a part-time commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission.

He holds an LLB (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and a bachelor of civil law (Honours) degree from the University of Oxford, and he was appointed Queen’s counsel for Victoria in 1991.

“After decades of distinguished public service, we are thrilled the Honourable John Middleton has chosen DLA Piper for the next chapter of his incredible career. John will be a great asset to our clients on strategic litigation and class action advice,” proclaimed Ms Matthews.  

Jerome Doraisamy

Jerome Doraisamy

Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.

You can email Jerome at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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