Jones Day Australia: 5 Partner Appointments Bolster September Team

• Jones Day significantly expanded its Australian legal team with multiple key appointments in September, including five new partners from rival firms.
• New partners Leigh De Jong, Christopher Flynn, Lance Sacks, Ken Saurajen, and Dylan McKimmie joined practices spanning financial markets, energy, corporate, IP, and global disputes.
• The firm also welcomed property partner Tom Young, cyber and technology partner Zoe Tishler, and IP and brand protection partner Viviane Karoumbalis.
• Tanja Maley joined as a director in M&A and corporate advisory, while Peter Mariotto and Teron Stone were appointed as special counsel in litigation and insurance.
• These hires bolster Jones Day's capabilities across its Sydney and Brisbane offices, particularly in property, cyber, M&A, and various litigation specialities.

These strategic hires, described as "heavy hitters," transitioned from prominent rival firms, marking a notable strengthening of the firm's presence in the region.

Jones Day significantly expanded its Australian operations recently, announcing a series of key appointments that included five new partners joining its Sydney and Brisbane offices. These strategic hires, described as "heavy hitters," transitioned from prominent rival firms, marking a notable strengthening of the firm's presence in the region. The firm's new additions span a wide array of practice areas, reflecting a concerted effort to enhance its service offerings across critical sectors.

Among the notable Jones Day Australia partner appointments in September, Leigh De Jong moved from MinterEllison, where he previously led the banking and finance practice in Sydney, to join Jones Day’s financial markets practice. Christopher Flynn, formerly spearheading the energy, resources, and infrastructure practice at Gilbert + Tobin, now contributes to Jones Day’s energy team. Lance Sacks, who co-led Baker McKenzie’s transactions practice in Australia, has become part of Jones Day’s corporate team, further solidifying its transactional capabilities.

Ken Saurajen, previously co-partner in charge of Clayton Utz’s Sydney office and head of its national technology law practice, now brings his expertise to Jones Day’s IP team. Completing this initial group of five, Dylan McKimmie, who served as Brisbane office head and co-led the Australian energy practice at Norton Rose Fulbright, has commenced with Jones Day’s global disputes practice. These appointments underscore Jones Day's commitment to attracting top-tier legal talent to serve its Australian and international client base.

Beyond these five significant partner additions, Jones Day continued its recruitment drive by bringing in several other experienced legal professionals. Tom Young joined as a property partner, having previously been with K&L Gates. His extensive background includes work on major property and infrastructure projects, airports and aviation, tourism and hospitality, transport, and regulatory matters. Young also boasts over two decades of experience acting as a lawyer for the Queensland Tourism Industry Council. He is joined by special counsels Julie Brown and Borhan Borhani, who will both operate from Brisbane, further enhancing the firm's property and infrastructure capabilities.

In Sydney, Zoe Tishler was welcomed as a cyber and technology partner, commencing her role on Monday, September 28. As a cyber and privacy lawyer, Tishler is recognised for her expertise in cyber incident response, advisory work, and cyber-related disputes, having advised insurers, brokers, and various organisations. This appointment highlights the firm's focus on expanding its capabilities in the rapidly evolving technology and data privacy landscape.

The firm also appointed Tanja Maley as a director in Sydney, who will work with its M&A and corporate advisory team. Maley brings significant experience guiding listed companies, those seeking to list on the ASX, private equity sponsors, investment banks, brokers, venture capital investors, and founders. Additionally, Viviane Karoumbalis, an expert in IP and brand protection, joined as a partner across the corporate and commercial, IP, and privacy and data protection teams. Her experience includes strategic development, commercialisation, and enforcement of valuable IP assets both domestically and internationally, alongside work on commercial contracting, technology and digital projects, consumer law compliance, privacy and data protection, and procurement matters.

The recent influx of talent at Jones Day extends to its special counsel ranks, further deepening its expertise in critical legal areas. Peter Mariotto joined as special counsel, focusing on commercial litigation and dispute resolution. He is particularly adept in large infrastructure and property disputes, financial lines, and regulatory matters, bringing a wealth of experience to the firm's litigation practice.

Teron Stone also joined as special counsel, specialising in insurance litigation. His background includes handling motor injury, workers' compensation, public liability, and general insurance matters, which will bolster the firm's capacity in this complex field. These appointments collectively underscore Jones Day's strategic intent to not only expand its partner base but also to enhance its specialised legal capabilities across a broad spectrum of practice areas in the Australian market.

Source: Original reporting via Australasian Lawyer