The team includes a partner and two special counsel
Piper Alderman has scored a five-strong team from K&L Gates, boosting its real estate ability in Brisbane.
Partner Warren Denny, special counsel Kylie Maxwell and Lyndal Draper, lawyer Alexandra Gaggin, and paralegal Caitlyn Slater commenced at the firm on 1 April, Piper Alderman has confirmed.
The team hire comes after Piper Alderman recently welcomed a special counsel in Melbourne, a partner in Sydney, and a partner in Brisbane.
Denny, recognised as one of the best property lawyers in the country, had been with K&L Gates and its predecessor firms for more than 31 years. Maxwell had been a senior associate since 2003 at Flower and Hart Lawyers, which merged with legacy Middletons before its K&L Gates combination at the start of 2013. Draper has been as senior associate at the firm 2009. Gaggin has been with the global firm for nearly four years, starting as a paralegal.
Piper Alderman said that the team specialises in giving advice on residential strata title, commercial and mixed used developments, aged care, receiver and mortgagee sales, joint-venture agreements, title structures, development and fund-through agreements, put and call options, staged developments, and real estate dispute resolution.
Denny shared why he was excited to join Piper Alderman.
“The firm has a reputation for exceptional client service which is something we also aspire to provide. Piper Alderman’s national offering is also what we aimed to achieve when legacy firm Flower & Hart merged with Middletons,” he said. “In addition, and importantly, the firm provides long-term career opportunities for my team. We have been together now for in excess of 10 years and I am delighted that we can move into this new chapter of our careers with the overwhelming support of our clients.”
Tony Britten-Jones, who is Piper Alderman’s national head of real estate in addition to being its national managing partner, said that the firm is delighted that the team chose Piper Alderman as their new home.
“Warren is a highly respected and skilled practitioner within the Queensland property industry. His practice is very much aligned with Piper Alderman’s existing offering and skills. The experience and relationships he has will help us continue to build upon the foundations of our existing practice and deepen our relationships with our key clients in line with our strategic goals,” he said.
Ted Williams, who leads the national firm’s Brisbane office, highlighted the firm’s growth in the Queensland capital.
“Our Brisbane office is going from strength to strength. In the last year we have been delighted to appoint seven new partners, five organic and two lateral,” he said.
“In addition to Warren Denny and his team, we have in that time appointed two further real estate partners – Mark Askin and Judd Last. As we continue to focus on strategic, sustainable growth in Brisbane, I believe that our client focused model and supportive, collaborative culture create an attractive environment in which practices may develop and client relationships flourish,” he said.
Kylie Maxwell, Warren Denny, and Lyndal Draper
