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KWM partner joins HFW as special counsel
John Canning, who served for over two decades as a partner at King & Wood Mallesons, has joined global rival HFW in its Sydney office.
Jerome Doraisamy
Canning, HFW said in a statement, is an aviation and asset finance specialist with more than 30 years of experience working in Sydney, London, and Hong Kong. He practises Hong Kong and Australian law and is also admitted to practise law in England and Wales.
Most recently, he served as a partner at KWM for 23 years.
Canning primarily advises on front-end transactions, but he also has significant experience in major insolvency matters – including as the lead lawyer for all aviation creditors in the Virgin Australia administration.
The news follows the hiring of two special counsel for its insurance practice in November, the appointment of a partner from Clifford Chance in October, the global firm’s addition of a team from BigLaw rival Johnson Winter Slattery in late August, as well as its “record” 12 months in the Australian market, as reported in July, and having added 12 new partners across the country since the beginning of FY2023–24.
Speaking about the appointment, HFW Australian managing partner Gavin Vallely said: “I am pleased to welcome John to the firm.
“Over his long career, John has earned a reputation as an exceptional practitioner – one of the best in the market. He makes a solid addition to our global aerospace practice and will work closely with our existing asset finance and leasing team to advise clients across the Asia-Pacific region.”
The firm’s global head of aerospace, Edward Spencer, said: “Our global aviation finance and leasing practice has grown considerably and is now one of the largest and most experienced in the market.
“John is another outstanding addition to our team, who, as a genuine market leader, is highly regarded across the industry. He will bring considerable expertise and profile to bear for our clients.”
Canning said: “I’m very pleased to be joining HFW.
“I’ve worked with the global aerospace team on matters many times over the years and I’ve always been impressed by their ability to provide cutting-edge service to their clients and to deliver legal and commercial outcomes in an efficient and practical way.”
The global firm is currently advising the “all risk” group of insurers in the US$3 billion AerCap High Court litigation – which it said is the “largest aviation claim in history”.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. In June 2024, he also assumed the editorship of HR Leader. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
You can email Jerome at:
