The dynamic Perth market has proved too hard to ignore for insurance specialist Moray & Agnew, which has opened a new office there to be headed by Phil Keays.
Joining from Sparke Helmore, Keays brings to Moray & Agnew more than 18 years’ experience and his team of five lawyers – Dr Brenda McGivern (consultant), Nicola Frampton (special counsel), Tracy Bennett (senior associate), Verginia Serdev (lawyer) and Anna Miolin (graduate lawyer).
Moray & Agnew now has six offices across Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Newcastle and Perth – and a total of 58 partners.
“Perth has always been part of our strategy and it now completes our national coverage. But we had to make sure the fit and skills were right. As soon as I met Phil and the team, I knew we had found what we’d been waiting for,” said national managing partner Michael Pitt. “The major insurers want resources and plenty of them. There are only a few specialist firms in Australia which can deliver legal resources, leading systems, and technology on the scale required by national insurers.”
The announcement comes only weeks after Clifford Chance confirmed it would be entering the Australian market through mergers with Chang, Pistilli & Simmons (CP&S) in Sydney and Cochrane Lishman Carson Luscombe (CLCL) in Perth. Fellow Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy also chose Sydney and Perth for its launch early last year.
Moray & Agnew's Perth move follows the firm’s announcement last week that former DLA Phillips Fox partner Peter Tredinnick and special counsel Belinda Marshall were joining the Sydney insurance practice.
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Clifford Chance makes its move on Australia 17 February 2011
Moray & Agnew expands insurance team 1 March 2011