Led by Matthew Dunn, Cameron Jaggers, and Ben Rooke, the Ashurst infrastructure, places, and capital projects advisory will expand Ashurst’s existing risk advisory practice by combining strategic policy, commercial advisory, and project risk advisory capabilities to support clients across the project life cycle.

According to the firm, the new offering will also complement its projects and energy team, which has assisted governments and the private sector in the delivery of major projects and other government initiatives.

Sonia Haque Vatcher, previously the general manager of data and analytics at Commonwealth Bank, has also been appointed as lead partner of data and analytics for Ashurst’s risk advisory practice.

This appointment will assist Ashurst in addressing “growing global demand for data risk management and data analytics support in an environment of rapid regulatory change,” according to the firm.

Ashurst chief client officer and global divisional leader for consulting Jamie Ng said these four senior appointments reflect the sustained growth of Australia’s infrastructure and energy sectors.

“Infrastructure and data and analytics have been strong areas of client demand since Ashurst established the Ashurst Risk Advisory business in 2020, as digitalisation, sustainability, increased scale of infrastructure projects and economic volatility give rise to greater regulatory scrutiny and demand for expertise-led models of legal-led risk and commercial advisory capabilities. Ashurst’s clear focus on outpacing change for our clients has enabled us to grow our Risk Advisory practice,” he said.

“The launch of the infrastructure, places and capital projects advisory offering and the appointment of four new partners reflects significant and ongoing shifts in development of our cities and the infrastructure supporting them. These new appointments further demonstrate our commitment to continue investing in the practice to support that growth.”

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Joining Ashurst from the public sector, Dunn has 20 years of experience in infrastructure and property, specialising in complex infrastructure, public-private partnerships and private financing. Before joining Ashurst, he held several senior executive roles across the NSW government, most recently leading Transport for NSW’s infrastructure and project finance team.

Jaggers possesses more than two decades of portfolio, project management design and assurance, and auditing and risk management experience across the health, rail, road, and energy sectors and was most recently an integrated infrastructure partner at PwC.

Rooke also joins the firm from the public sector and has held senior executive roles in NSW and West Australian governments. He was previously an executive director for commercial transactions in the NSW Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade.

Haque Vatcher has over 20 years of experience in large-scale technology transformation and risk management projects in the financial services, life sciences, consumer, and retail sectors. Before joining the firm, she was a senior executive at CBA and led a global team of data and analytics professionals.

Head of Ashurst Risk Advisory, Australia, Philip Hardy, welcomed the four new partners to the team.

“We are pleased to welcome Matthew, Cameron, Ben and Sonia to Ashurst. Our strong team of experts in data and infrastructure will assist our clients in balancing compliance, technology, and sustainability challenges with strategic goals,” he said.

“Each partner’s expertise in driving growth and transformation will also provide added leadership to our growing team.”