The firm intends to launch an infrastructure sector-focused practice in Melbourne and Sydney later this year.  The practice will be headed by former Maddocks CEO David Rennick, who led a strategic review of the firm's options in relation to market entry in Australia. Two current partners of Maddocks, Greg Campbell and Simela Karasavidis, will also join Rennick as founding partners in the new practice. They will be joined by fellow-partner Michael Battye, a former Pinsent Masons lawyer currently in private practice in Adelaide, and Adam Perl, who joins from a senior in house legal position at Australian infrastructure giant, Leighton. Andrew Denton, a construction disputes partner at Pinsent Masons in London, will relocate from the firm's global headquarters. 

Existing client base

The Pinsent Masons five-partner Australian practice will initially focus on the firm's existing international client base of providers and major funders of infrastructure projects - particularly those situated in Asia Pacific currently served by the firm's offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai. The practice will target clients on in-bound and domestic work in Australia, and on outbound work into Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.

Infrastructure

Commenting on the move, Richard Foley, senior partner at Pinsent Masons, said: 'This is a significant and hugely exciting development for the firm. Our vision is to be an international market-leader in the global sectors in which the firm operates. Infrastructure is one of those sectors and this development is an important step towards that objective.' He added that the firm had done 'our homework on the market and taken the time to recruit a top quality team.  We are confident that, through a keen focus on the infrastructure sector initially and a real commitment to innovative delivery of high quality legal services, we will have a compelling proposition for existing and potential clients.' The firm's decision to open in Australia comes following a period of  international expansion by Pinsent Masons. In 2012 the firm opened offices in France and Germany, while in 2013 the firm launched in Turkey through a joint venture.