20821 A&O Alumni Yearbook 2016_pages

ARTICLE: SPOTLIGHT ON AUSTRALIA
various Australian state-based firms combine
to become national Australian firms. It was
exhilarating being at the head of the pack. The
challenges were similar to those of many of our
clients in a ‘start-up’ environment – having to
install some of the basic IT infrastructure,
recruit staff, develop precedents and (of course)
win work – but with the benefit of having the
global firm behind us. The support we got was
tremendous; it was a real team effort.
GS: What neither of us – or indeed anyone –
felt was that we were stepping into the
unknown. We were confident of what we were
doing and what we had to offer. It seemed to be
a ‘no brainer’ to us and we did have strong
support from clients and the firm.
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE
YOURSELVES FROM OTHER LAW FIRMS,
INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL LAW
FIRMS, WHO HAVE SINCE SET UP?
JD: Our focus when we opened was to offer
advice on cross-border deals and matters, in
all our practice areas. So now that includes
corporate, finance litigation and arbitration.
For our Australian clients, it’s also about
bringing the best of A&O’s global knowhow
and deal technology to this market.
GS: The Australian offices weren’t set up to
be ‘remote outposts’ of A&O. From day one,
the offices were fully integrated into the
A&O network. That helps to explain why
they’ve been successful, because we’re
integral to the firm’s global offering. We’ve
continued to deepen our expertise in core
advisory and disputes experience focusing
on cross-border work. Mirroring the
business operations of our clients, our teams
regularly advise on deals and cases in Asia
Pacific and elsewhere, often requiring
Australian, English and U.S. law, which we
can support from our offices in Australia.
Not many firms of our calibre can do this.
INTEGRATION SOUNDS GOOD IN THEORY,
BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN PRACTICE?
JD: It means being able to allocate
experienced people with the right cultural fit
to where they’re most needed. One of the
key drivers for our opening in Australia was
“ The longer we’re
in the market, the
more clients get it –
they see the
benefits of a joinedup,
international
a ppr o a c h .”
– Geoff Simpson
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