One of the partners was part of MinterEllison's executive leadership
HFW has attracted four Australian partners from MinterEllison – including one who used to be part of the top-tier firm’s executive leadership team.
Adam Handley and Matthew Knox (corporate and projects) join HFW’s Perth office along with David Suttner (restructuring and disputes). Meanwhile, Bryn Davis (corporate and projects) will operate across Sydney and Perth.
The new partners will be joined by a 15-strong core team of lawyers.
In addition to being a member of MinterEllison’s executive leadership, Handley led the firm’s China markets team. He also headed up MinterEllison’s national markets and international practice, and once served as the firm’s WA managing partner.
A renowned advisor to Chinese enterprises, he has tackled corporate, M&A, projects (including government), and regulatory matters. He concentrates on issues involving outbound investment for North Asian M&A and project development, mainly in mining, agribusiness, and infrastructure.
Knox was also once WA managing partner for MinterEllison. A competition and regulatory lawyer, he has guided the government, regulators, and private clients on market rules, commercial agreements, and aspects of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
Davis is a specialist in matters involving hard rock mining and has worked on solar and renewables projects and agribusiness. He was previously the FIRB lead partner on MinterEllison’s mining team.
In 2017, Davis co-led with Handley MinterEllison's team as it assisted in the acquisition of an Australian superyacht builder by a Chinese company.
Suttner headed up MinterEllison’s Perth mining focus group. He is an expert in commercial litigation and insolvency renowned for his work in the mining and mining services sectors.
He has taken the lead on energy and resources-based litigation such as contractual disputes, tenement disputes, and disputes associated with director duties. He has also advised on investigations into the affairs of insolvent and externally administered corporations.
“The addition of a first-class corporate, regulatory, and projects team has been a strategic priority for HFW’s Australia business and the development of our regional capability. Building further depth into our insolvency and restructuring capability has also been a key focus,” said Gavin Vallely, managing partner of HFW Australia. “The team is a perfect fit for HFW, with vast experience in several of our core sectors including commodities, mining, energy and renewables, ports and terminals, and public infrastructure across Australia. David’s practice will also dovetail with our commercial disputes practice in Perth, led by Paul D Evans, who joined from Quinn Emanuel in 2022."
Handley also highlighted HFW’s pending debut in China’s Greater Bay area and noted that the APAC region continues to “play an ever-important role in driving global economic growth.”
