They commenced as partners-in-charge of the firm’s Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne offices last month
Jones Day has rung in 2026 with the appointment of new partners-in-charge for its Australian offices.
On 1 January, John Cooper, Annie Leeks and Dr Niv Tadmore began leading the firm’s Sydney. Brisbane and Melbourne offices, respectively. According to Australia partner-in-charge Chris Lovrien, the appointments, as well as Jones Day’s addition of “up-from-the-ranks and lateral partners” in the past two years reflected “the firm’s continued investment in Australia”.
Cooper previously led the Brisbane office, a role to which he was appointed in 2016. His practice focuses on construction and infrastructure law, and he has tackled major projects in the transport, energy and resources, defense, and social infrastructure sectors.
He has worked on complex disputes related to procurement projects in Australia and beyond. He has appeared before superior courts in litigation and has been involved in arbitration, expert determinations and statutory adjudications.
Cooper’s clients have included owners, contractors and consultants. Presently, he is acting for a global contractor on a major dispute involving a gas project, as well as an owner on a dispute related to a private hospital development.
He is working with the Standards Australia on the evaluation of its standard form contracts in the country. He sits on the Law Council of Australia business law section’s construction and infrastructure law committee, is part of the Resolution Institute, and is on the Centre for Professional Legal Education Advisory Board.
Cooper has relocated from Brisbane to Sydney for his new role. He takes the reins of Jones Day’s Sydney office from current Japan partner-in-charge Chris Ahern, who will concentrate on the Japan office while dividing his time between Tokyo and Sydney.
Leeks takes over for Cooper in leading the Jones Day Brisbane office. The high-stakes litigation and arbitration specialist focuses on managing and resolving significant disputes for clients in the energy sector with cross-border operations in Australia and across the APAC region.
She has worked with major corporations in the mining, energy, technology, financial services, aviation and construction sectors. She represented an international coal mining company in a multibillion-dollar ICC arbitration after a material adverse change resulted in the termination of agreements for the purchase of coal assets.
Leeks also appeared before the Queensland Supreme Court, representing a multinational oil and gas company in a multibillion-dollar dispute involving the farm out of CSG assets. In an ICC arbitration seated in Singapore, she acted for a global chip manufacturer in a dispute related to joint venture in the PRC. She also represented an oil major before the Victorian Federal Court in a dispute involving the pass through of resource taxes to its joint venture partners under a gas processing agreement.
She has in-house experience gleaned from a stint as lead legal counsel and privacy officer at Virgin Australia, per LinkedIn.
Tadmore succeeds senior IP partner Lisa Taliadoros as Jones Day Melbourne’s partner-in-charge. He focuses on tax controversy matters, having acted for multinationals in disputes concerning the taxation of intangibles and the digital economy, transfer pricing, international tax and tax treaties, energy and resources, and the operation of anti-avoidance powers in cross-border settings.
He leads the International Fiscal Association’s Australian branch as president; he was also the global IFA Supervisory Board’s founding chair. He has sat on Australian Taxation Office and Federal Treasury committees, including the dispute resolution, large business stewardship and BEPS.
Moreover, Tadmore is part of the Melbourne University Tax Advisory Board and the New York University International Tax Board.
Lisa Taliadoros was recognized as one of The Top Female Lawyers in Australia and New Zealand. Read the Elite Women report here.
