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HFW adds 4 new senior associates in Australia
BigLaw firm HFW has promoted four to senior associate in its Australian offices, as part of a promotions round of 14 globally.
Jess Feyder
The promotions are effective as of 1 April and continue the firm’s growth, it said in a statement, across its international network and core sectors, spanning Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and in each of the firm’s global industry groups: aerospace, commodities, construction, corporate and commercial, insurance, and shipping.
Jeremy Shebson, managing partner, and Giles Kavanagh, global senior partner, commented: “On behalf of the entire firm, we’d like to extend our warmest congratulations to our newly promoted senior associates on this well-deserved achievement.
“You have each demonstrated dedication and exceptional legal skills in supporting our clients, and we look forward to you continuing to develop your careers at HFW.”
The new senior associates in the firm’s Australian offices include Carlita Bloecker in Melbourne, who is part of the firm’s shipping practice.
Ms Bloecker has broad shipping experience in contentious matters, acting on behalf of vessel owners, P&I clubs, charterers, freight forwarders, stevedores, vessel repairers and warehousing operators across matters involving shipbuilding, vessel arrests, damage to cargo or vessels, as well as defending criminal proceedings in respect of environmental or animal welfare obligations.
In the commodities sphere, she has acted on behalf of clients in respect of the contentious and non-contentious sale and purchase of commodities and ancillary contracts of carriage.
Natasha Joukhdar has been promoted in the firm’s construction practice in Sydney.
Ms Joukhdar has experience in advising clients on a broad range of construction and engineering and complex commercial disputes, including arbitration, expert determination, litigation, mediation, and adjudication.
The disputes she has dealt with vary from complex legal analysis of construction disputes arising from construction contracts to commercial disputes generally and more recently, property-related disputes. She has also acted on behalf of clients in respect of non-contentious construction contracts and negotiations.
Rachel Irwin has also been promoted in the firm’s Sydney office in the construction practice.
Ms Irwin regularly acts for and advises contractors, specialist subcontractors and construction design consultants in large-scale infrastructure, construction, engineering and commercial matters across the East and West Coast of Australia.
She has broad experience drafting contracts, undertaking contract reviews and advocating for clients in mediation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation.
Whitney Jiang has been promoted in the corporate and commercial team in the Sydney office.
Ms Jiang’s area of practice includes commercial transactions, property acquisitions and development; drafting legal due diligence reports and finance facility documents; and advising on duties and Foreign Investment Review Board applications.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Ms Jiang worked in the banking and finance industry and has sound knowledge of the stock market, derivatives, IPOs and share structuring. She also speaks and writes fluently in Mandarin.
