Squire Sanders Raids Major Australia Firm; 15 of 19 Minter Partners in Perth Likely to Join US Firm
Squire Sanders & Dempsey has has raided the Perth office of a major Australia-based law firm, where it plans to set up its first office on the continent.
Only 4 of 19 Minter Ellison partners in Perth are expected to stay with the firm, moving to a new office in October to do so. The other 15 plan to join Squire Sanders, reports the West Australian.
The news comes almost exactly a year after Squire Sanders announced last year that it was talking about a possible merger with the United Kingdom’s Hammonds law firm, notes the Am Law Daily in a lengthy article about the Squire Sanders entry into Australia. That merger was approved in November and took place early this year.
The law firm has confirmed that it is “finalizing talks” with “the majority” of the Minter Ellison partners in the Perth office. “Squire Sanders plans to expand into Australia and strengthen its presence in Asia Pacific, the fastest growing region in the world, by establishing a strong position in Western Australia,” states a law firm press release.
Squire Sanders partners are expected to vote later this month on the Perth plan.
