King & Spalding: Mandi Jacobson Joins as Sydney Partner

• Mandi Jacobson has been appointed as a partner in King & Spalding's Sydney office, joining its government matters and regulation practice group.
• She specializes as a life sciences, regulatory, and litigation lawyer, advising clients in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and consumer products sectors.
• Jacobson's expertise includes guiding multinational companies on regulatory frameworks, risk management, and representing them in complex litigation, including product liability disputes in Australia.
• The appointment strengthens King & Spalding's capabilities in regulatory investigations and commercial disputes for multinational clients in the Asia-Pacific region.
• King & Spalding's Sydney office, launched in October 2025, aims to provide international clients with access to the firm's global expertise across various practice areas.

Her arrival is set to further enrich the Sydney office's offerings by adding significant regulatory, litigation, and life sciences expertise, as King & Spalding continues to strategically develop its Australian operations.

King & Spalding has announced the appointment of Mandi Jacobson as a new partner in its Sydney office, significantly bolstering its government matters and regulation practice group. This move marks a key expansion for the firm in Australia, with Jacobson bringing extensive experience as a life sciences, regulatory, and litigation lawyer. Her arrival is the latest addition to the Sydney outpost, which King & Spalding established in October 2025.

The firm's strategic decision to launch its Sydney operations was aimed at providing multinational clients operating across the Asia-Pacific region with direct access to its comprehensive international capabilities across various practice areas. This appointment underscores King & Spalding's commitment to enhancing its service offerings in a crucial global market.

Ms. Jacobson's practice is deeply rooted in advising clients across critical sectors including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and consumer products on a wide array of regulatory, compliance, and contentious issues. Her expertise extends to guiding multinational corporations through complex regulatory frameworks and risk management strategies across multiple jurisdictions, a crucial skill set in today's globalized market.

Furthermore, she possesses a strong track record in representing clients in intricate litigation and other contentious proceedings. This includes handling product liability disputes, navigating regulatory enforcement actions, managing investigations, participating in coronial inquests, and defending against class actions, underscoring her comprehensive litigation capabilities within the Sydney legal market, particularly in life sciences regulatory matters.

The addition of a partner with Ms. Jacobson's specialized background aligns directly with King & Spalding's broader strategic objectives for its Australian operations and the wider Asia-Pacific market. Darren Gardner, who serves as the managing partner for King & Spalding's Sydney office, emphasized that her deep experience will significantly enhance the firm's capacity to manage complex regulatory investigations and commercial disputes for its multinational client base.

Mr. Gardner also highlighted that Ms. Jacobson's life sciences expertise is instrumental in supporting the firm's strategy to develop key focus areas within Sydney, which include technology, energy, disputes, life sciences, and global human capital matters. This appointment underscores the firm's commitment to expanding its presence and specialized offerings in the region, building on its global network of 1,300 lawyers across 26 offices spanning the US, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC.

Mandi Jacobson herself cited King & Spalding's robust Australian and international platform as a primary motivator for her decision to join. She articulated that the firm's dedication to providing U.S. and international clients with top-tier, on-the-ground legal talent for their most sophisticated legal challenges, coupled with direct access to market-leading regulatory, litigation, and transactional capabilities worldwide, presented an exceptionally attractive proposition for her practice.

This perspective highlights the firm's unique value proposition in the Sydney legal market, particularly for clients requiring integrated global and local expertise. Her arrival is set to further enrich the Sydney office's offerings by adding significant regulatory, litigation, and life sciences expertise, as King & Spalding continues to strategically develop its Australian operations.

This appointment signals King & Spalding's strategic expansion of its life sciences, regulatory, and litigation capabilities in the Australian and APAC markets. Lawyers and compliance officers in these sectors should note the strengthening of a key competitor's offerings and the availability of new expertise for multinational clients facing complex regulatory and contentious matters in the region.

Source: Original reporting via Australasian Lawyer