The firm says it has “identified construction as a strategic priority for growth in Australia”
HFW has lured construction expert and partner Antony Riordan from Colin Biggers & Paisley, along with a four-strong team.
HFW’s Sydney office welcomes Riordan, senior associate Brooke Gilbey and associates Natasha Joukhdar and Rachel Irwin, as well as legal assistant Jacqueline Borgese. The new hires will bolster the firm’s global construction offering.
“HFW is committed to growing our construction capabilities globally, and the firm has identified construction as a strategic priority for growth in Australia. We are very pleased to welcome Antony and his team to the firm,” Australia managing partner Gavin Vallely said.
The firm’s Sydney-based global construction head, Carolyn Chudleigh, pointed to Riordan’s significant experience in the sector as a strong asset.
“Antony brings in-depth construction sector expertise as well as commercial litigation skills, allowing us to meet growing client demand in both these areas, across Australia and Asia,” she said. “The members of the team joining HFW are very talented and focussed professionals and we look forward to working together as we continue our strategic growth in this industry sector.”
Riordan expressed his eagerness to help HFW grow its national and international construction practice and to capitalise on opportunities for both his colleagues and the firm’s clients.
“HFW offers the precise opportunity I was looking for, an already impressive construction practice, locally and internationally, and in particular, access to a depth of international and local expertise and experience in the energy and resources space,” he said. “HFW's leadership team is focused on growing the firm's Australian business generally and particularly in the construction, engineering and infrastructure space.”
HFW has been experiencing a strong trend of growth thus far – the firm’s Sydney branch transferred to a new office last month on Phillip Street in order to accommodate its expanding roster. The building was designed by Norman Foster, and has what the firm said are “some of the largest column-free floor plates available in Sydney's CBD.”
“The floor plate enabled us to create a bespoke fitout to suit our team's working preferences and to reflect the energetic culture of HFW,” said Chudleigh, who also heads up the Sydney office. “The new space is designed to account for social distancing and efficient working styles – for example, more doors are sensored; so they are 'hands free' where there would otherwise be frequent touch points, and we have a combination of offices, workstations, collaboration pods and quiet spaces in the design.”
