This week, Wotton + Kearney’s Singapore office officially opens, a first for an Australia-domiciled insurance and risk law firm.

The expansion was first revealed in April this year, as reported by Lawyers Weekly, and the Asia practice will be led by managing partner Ben Nicholson, who previously worked at Kennedys Singapore.

The firm already has nine offices across Australia and New Zealand, and Nicholson said that while the team is based in Singapore, it will support clients across Asia and the Middle East with an expanded footprint and create a regional hub for the firm.

“Wotton + Kearney is a firm that has always looked for strategic growth opportunities, and this significant move signals that the firm has now firmly set its sights on Asia and beyond,” he said.

“I am excited about joining this dynamic organisation at a time when it is looking at measured international expansion in a market where some traditional competitors are facing challenges.”

This move follows a period of growth for the firm, which started as a boutique firm of six lawyers and now consists of 82 partners and over 450 lawyers across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and now Singapore.

Late last year, Wotton + Kearney promoted 34 lawyers to more senior positions, including three to partner, following the 34 it elevated (including four to partner) in June 2023.

The firm also added a health partner from BigLaw rival Lander & Rogers in October and hired a new special counsel and senior associate for its cyber and technology advisory practice in November.

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To achieve this growth, the firm focuses on specific areas where their clients demand services, chief executive partner David Kearney said on The Lawyers Weekly Show recently.

This came after the international law firm sold a 30 per cent stake to private equity firm Straight Bat in June 2022, something Kearney said positioned the firm for success. As previously reported by Lawyers Weekly, the firm’s revenue grew by 71.6 per cent from FY2019–20 to FY2022–23.

Nicholson will be joined by partner Tom Morrison, also from Kennedys Singapore, and a team of five: senior associates Audrey Wong and James Sutherland, associates Mantita Yeo and Nathaniel Loh, and team secretary Jane Lefort.

In a statement, Kearney said the Asia team is the perfect fit for the firm.

“We are delighted to officially open our doors in Singapore and welcome Asia’s market-leading insurance team to Wotton + Kearney,” he said.

“Singapore is a regional hub for the global insurance industry, and we look forward to working closely with our clients across Asia and beyond to support their needs.”

Lauren Croft

Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.