The Brief:
HWLE’s Russell Mailler has resigned as chief executive partner.
The board has launched a succession process as the firm enters another leadership reset.
Australia’s largest law firm is changing leaders.
HWL Ebsworth’s Russell Mailler has given notice and will step down as chief executive partner in April, two years after taking the top job.
Chair of partners Jamie Restas confirmed the move:
“Chief Executive Partner Russell Mailler has provided us with notice of his intention to retire from the partnership and pursue other opportunities… Over the last 14 years, Russell has made a significant contribution to the firm and played an instrumental role in building the firm’s profile and delivering a successful transition of our governance model and leadership function.”
Mailler hasn’t locked in his next move.
He joined HWL Ebsworth in 2011 as chief marketing officer after five years at Herbert Smith Freehills and earlier time at the ASX. Over the next decade, he became the right-hand man to long-time managing partner Juan Martinez, who died suddenly in 2024.
Under Martinez’s 26-year tenure, the firm grew from a 40-person Melbourne shopfront to Australia’s largest partnership — it now counts 280+ partners, putting it ahead of MinterEllison.
After Martinez’s death, the firm adopted a co-pilot model. Mailler stepped up as chief executive partner, working alongside CEO Kris Hopkins, a chartered accountant.
Mailler also became the firm’s public face during the 2023 ransomware attack, when hacker group ALPHV, also known as BlackCat, stole more than four terabytes of sensitive data.
Now, the board will move to appoint a successor to work alongside Hopkins.
Source: Capital Brief