The Brief:
Gadens hires Natasha Murgatroyd as a partner in Perth and Mizu Ardra as a partner in Melbourne, with Chenjie Ma joining as special counsel.
The moves deepen the firm’s property, financial services and fintech benches.
Gadens has snapped up two partners and a special counsel, doubling down on financial services, fintech and property.
In Melbourne, Mizu Ardra joins as a partner from HWLE, where she spent two years as a partner after a stint as special counsel at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. She brings expertise across financial services regulation, fintech, financial crime, digital assets and space law. Her work includes advising BGH Capital on the financial regulatory framework for Fund II, reported as Australia’s largest PE capital raising at the time.
Chenjie Ma also joins from HWLE as special counsel, adding further depth to the firm’s financial services and fintech offering.
In Perth, property partner Natasha Murgatroyd joins from Dentons, where she spent more than 13 years, including 7 as a partner. She acts for institutional landlords, REITs and developers, and she’s advised on some of WA’s most significant retail, office and mixed-use projects. Her work includes advising Vicinity Centres on its WA retail leasing portfolio and redevelopment leasing at the Galleria Shopping Centre.
CEO and Managing Partner Mark Pistilli said the firm is following client demand.
We’re investing where our clients need us most. Natasha strengthens our property capability in Western Australia, while Mizu and Chenjie add depth in financial services, fintech and emerging technologies. Together, they enhance our ability to support clients in sectors undergoing rapid change.
Gadens’ partner numbers are up around 15% this year. Perth is a big part of that push. The firm only reopened its WA office in December 2025 and has flagged the city as a key strategic growth market for the next 12 months.
Source: Gadens