Australian Legal Appointments November 2026: Key Partner Moves Announced

• Ashurst Perkins Coie appointed Lisa Dobbin and Josh Black as Sydney-based partners in Risk Advisory on November 4, 2026.
• Carter Newell welcomed Matthew Gerathy and Rory Smith as Sydney partners in its general liability practice on November 4, 2026.
• FTI Consulting, Harvey, and Pinsent Masons made key appointments in forensic, innovation, and flexible legal services roles.
• HopgoodGanim Lawyers, HWLE Lawyers, and Maddocks also announced significant partner and special counsel hires in construction, corporate M&A, and real estate.
• These moves reflect a dynamic period of talent acquisition and strategic growth across the Australian legal and consulting sectors in late October and early November 2026.

The Australian legal sector continues to demonstrate a robust and dynamic talent market, with numerous firms and consulting practices announcing strategic appointments throughout November 2026.

The Australian legal sector continues to demonstrate a robust and dynamic talent market, with numerous firms and consulting practices announcing strategic appointments throughout November 2026. Among the notable Australia law firm partner moves, Ashurst Perkins Coie welcomed new partners Lisa Dobbin and Josh Black to its Sydney-based Risk Advisory consulting business on November 4, 2026, enhancing its financial crime offering. Both individuals transitioned from Deloitte, bringing specialized expertise to the firm. On the same day, Carter Newell expanded its general liability practice in Sydney by appointing Matthew Gerathy and Rory Smith as partners. These Carter Newell general liability partners possess extensive experience in insurance law and claims disputes; Smith previously worked at Moray & Agnew, while Gerathy arrived from Makinson d'Apice Lawyers, accompanied by a team that included three paralegals.

Further strengthening key practice areas, HopgoodGanim Lawyers announced Kristen Kipps as a new HopgoodGanim construction partner in its Brisbane office, effective November 2, 2026, following her tenure as special counsel at Thomsons. HWLE Lawyers also made significant additions to its corporate and mergers and acquisitions practice in Perth on November 3, 2026, bringing in Blair Strickland as a partner, Tina Zhou as special counsel, and Hamish Donovan as a senior associate, all joining from Squire Patton Boggs. This move reinforces the firm's HWLE corporate M&A Perth capabilities. Additionally, Maddocks appointed Jonathon Meehan as Maddocks real estate special counsel in its Melbourne-based real estate practice group, effective November 3, 2026, after he served as a senior lawyer for property and projects at the University of Melbourne.

Beyond traditional law firm structures, the broader professional services landscape also saw significant talent shifts. FTI Consulting, for instance, welcomed Daniel Heywood to its Brisbane office as a senior managing director within its forensic and litigation consulting practice on November 2, 2026. Heywood previously held a managing director position at Alvarez & Marsal in Melbourne, bringing a wealth of experience to his new role.

Innovation and flexible service models also attracted top talent. Harvey, a legal innovation firm, announced the addition of Gary Adler as a Melbourne-based legal innovation partner on October 29, 2026. In this capacity, Adler is tasked with leading Harvey's legal innovation initiatives across the entire Asia-Pacific region, having previously served as MinterEllison's chief digital and artificial intelligence officer. Similarly, Pinsent Masons appointed Graham Anderson as its Melbourne-based head of flexible services for the APAC region, including its Vario offering, on October 29, 2026. Anderson joined from Lawyers on Demand (LOD), where he led both its Melbourne office and LOD Legal.

These specific appointments form part of a wider trend of talent movement within the Australian legal market during late October and early November 2026. Several other prominent firms also announced new hires and promotions, reflecting a continuous evolution of expertise and strategic growth. Firms such as Dentons, DLA Piper, Hall & Wilcox, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, HFW, Holding Redlich, Keypoint Law, Sparke Helmore, and White & Case LLP were among those making recent announcements.

This period of active recruitment follows an earlier wave of appointments noted in a previous roundup, which included firms like Clayton Utz, Gadens, Griffith Hack, Hicksons | Hunt & Hunt | Holman Webb, McCabes Lawyers, Roberts Crosbie Mortensen Lawyers, and Wotton Kearney. The consistent flow of new talent underscores the competitive and expanding nature of the Australian legal and consulting sectors.

Lawyers and compliance officers should review these appointments to identify new contacts, potential referral sources, or shifts in expertise within key Australian law firms and consulting practices. This intelligence can inform strategic partnerships, competitive analysis, or talent acquisition efforts.

Source: Original reporting via Australasian Lawyer.