Sector-focused law firm HFW has continued to expand its global construction practice with the hire of partner Ben Bury. Bury, who joins the firm’s Hong Kong office from Jones Day, is the sixth construction partner to join HFW in the past 15 months.
HFW previously hired construction partner Alex McKellar and associate Jarrod Gutsa from Macpherson Kelley in Melbourne; partners Ian Gordon, Thomas Wait and associate Beth Mulock from Lander & Rogers in Sydney and Perth; partner Beau McLaren from Dentons in Dubai; and partner Ben Mellors from construction boutique Beale and Company in London.
The firm also promoted Sydney construction lawyer Stephanie Lambert to partner in April 2018.
HFW’s construction group now has 15 partners and more than 50 fee-earners across 18 international offices. Construction is one of the firm’s six core industry groups globally.
HFW construction partner Martin Downey, who oversees the firm’s construction practice in Asia-Pacific:
“Ben is another great addition to our international construction group. He brings considerable experience and expertise in international arbitration across the Asia-Pacific region, and is highly respected by clients and the wider market. We have invested heavily in our global construction practice in recent years and will continue to expand in key locations to ensure that we are providing clients with the highest quality service in the markets that matter to them.”
Ben Bury:
“I’m excited to be joining a firm with such a strong and growing international construction practice that is so committed to servicing the industry. I was particularly attracted by HFW’s deep roots in Asia-Pacific, having had a presence here for 40 years, and the fact that it has fantastic lawyers with real sector expertise across so many international markets. I look forward to working with a hugely talented and truly global construction team.”
The arrival of Bury, whose practice focuses on international arbitration and other disputes arising out of complex and high-value construction and engineering projects, also represents a further boost to HFW’s fast-growing Asia-Pacific offering.
HFW has a strong and longstanding Asia-Pacific presence, having first launched in Hong Kong over 40 years ago. The firm now has more than 200 fee-earners and six offices across the region
HFW established a formal association with Indonesian law firm Rahayu & Partners in November 2017 – the firm’s sixth international merger or association since the beginning of 2016, including a fully-integrated transatlantic merger – and has added six partners in Singapore over the past 12 months, including former management partners at BLP (now BCLP) and Wikborg Rein. The firm now has 18 partners in Singapore, including Global Senior Partner Richard Crump, who relocated from London in 2014.
Richard Crump, Global Senior Partner, HFW:
“Ben’s hire reflects our continued commitment to further strengthening our Asia-Pacific offering, which is a strategic priority for the firm. We have expanded significantly across the region in recent years and will continue to target further growth opportunities – in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere – as part of being the world leader in the aerospace, commodities, construction, energy, insurance and shipping sectors.”
