New partners Khilen Devani and Carl Hinze join the firm’s Brisbane office with senior associate Julie Ubbesen and lawyer Mitchell Riggs, bringing the total partner count at the firm to 76 in Australia.

The team joins from Holding Redlich, where Devani was a partner and Hinze led the firm’s China practice.

This comes after the appointment of real estate partner Justin O’Callaghan and finance partner Claudine Salameh, both in January this year, as well as the firm’s appointment of a new Australian regional managing partner, Jason Opperman, in July last year.

“We are excited to welcome Carl and Khilen to our Brisbane office, which continues the expansion of our M&A and capital markets offerings, furthering our 2024 growth strategy in Australia,” Opperman said about the latest additions to the firm.

“Both Carl and Khilen (and their incoming team) bring significant sector experience, and the international nature of their practice aligns perfectly with our global platform and the growing needs of our clients.”

With 15 years of legal experience, Devani focuses on public and private M&A, complex joint venture arrangements, capital raising, and corporate governance matters and regularly advises clients on Corporations Act and ASX listing requirements and plays a pivotal role in complex transaction strategy and structuring, the management of due diligence, and the negotiation of transaction documents.

For the past two decades, Hinze has represented a variety of clients in foreign investment, cross-border corporate transactions, and complex alliance arrangements. He previously worked in law and investment banking in China and has successfully advised clients in multijurisdictional international arbitrations across Asia within the energy, manufacturing, resources and construction and engineering sectors. Hinze speaks, reads, and writes Mandarin and regularly advises leaders of public and private companies on governance issues.

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Devani and Hinze – and their team – join K&L Gates’ corporate practice, and practice area leader Chris Nikou said the additions would be a massive asset moving forward.

“Khilen and Carl are highly accomplished and well-credentialed corporate lawyers with an exceptionally strong client following,” he said.

“They each bring with them unique skills and extensive international experience to service our growing client base in transactional M&A and capital raising. They are a tremendous asset, and we are thrilled to have them and their team join us.”