It is understood that the firm has spoken to partners from Allens, King & Wood Mallesons and Herbert Smith Freehills with a view to potentially opening in Sydney and Perth, reports Legal Week.
The move would leave Slaughter and May as the only magic circle firm with no presence in the country.
‘The fact that we have Singapore now makes it easier to integrate Australia if we were to do something,’ one Freshfields partner told Legal Week.
However, an official spokesperson denied there were any current plans to open an office in the country.