MinterEllison partners leave in rival firm raid
Five partners at top-tier firm law firm MinterEllison have departed in a raid by global rival HFW, which is aiming to cash in on mining and resources deals between Western Australia and China.
The resource-focused partner hires include Adam Handley, a former WA managing partner and China markets leader, and Bi Chen, who has been MinterEllison’s chief representative in Beijing since 2017.
Adam Handley, Minters’ former WA managing partner, is set to join HFW.
The hiring spree takes the London-based firm’s number of partners in Australia to more than 30, as it executes a plan to double in size by 2026.
MinterEllison said in a statement Adam Handley, Matthew Knox, David Suttner, Bryn Davis and Bi Chen had “decided to leave the MinterEllison partnership”.
“Their many contributions to the firm are gratefully acknowledged, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavours,” it said.
HFW declined to comment to The Australian Financial Review.
The four Australian partner hires are based in Perth, and continue HFW’s local expansion in the resources sector.
Both Mr Handley and Mr Knox have previously served as Minters’ WA managing partner.
Last year, the firm hired a Perth-based disputes team from Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, led by former West Australian State Solicitor Paul Evans.
Bi Chen was Minters’ chief representative in Beijing.
The firm has also made local partner hires from Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Johnson Winter & Slattery and Jones Day since 2022.
The raid coincides with the opening of an HFW office in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, bucking a trend which has seen international firms retreat from China amid a slowing market and an onerous regulatory environment.
HFW is a sector-focused firm which specialises in the commodities, energy, insurance, shipping, construction and aerospace sectors. It has local offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
MinterEllison is Australia’s second-largest law partnership, with 250 partners as of July this year, according to the Financial Review’s law partnership survey.
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