Johnson Winter Slattery is heading to the Big Apple.

The Aussie firm has opened a representative office in New York, making it the only Australian law firm with a dedicated US presence. The office will practise Australian law only.

Why New York? Because the US is Australia's biggest source of foreign investment, and JWS wants to be where the money is coming from, not just where it’s landing.

Managing Partner Jeremy Davis said the firm’s US clients “continue to pursue significant opportunities in Australia” and the new office gives them “seamless real-time access” to the firm’s Australian legal expertise.

Davis says demand is surging across energy, tech, infrastructure and private capital, with the US pumping more capital into Australia than any other country

Corporate partner Andrew Turner will lead the office, backed by a team of 3 to 4 full-time lawyers permanently based in New York. He’ll work alongside JWS’s foreign investment and competition teams, helping clients navigate FIRB approvals, antitrust clearances and deal execution.

“US investors are increasingly confronted with complex Australian regulatory issues and market differences that impact deal execution,” Turner said. “Our presence in New York allows us to closely guide clients and their advisers as opportunities develop.”

It’s a rare move. JWS is the first Australian firm to open a New York office in three decades, and it lands as firms globally keep chasing cross-border growth, with Clifford Chance and Latham & Watkins among those recently expanding their Asia footprints.

Source: Johnson Winter Slattery, Law.com