King & Spalding has officially entered Australia, opening a Sydney office at Gateway Tower, 1 Macquarie Place.

The move cements the Atlanta-based firm’s Asia-Pacific expansion, adding a 26th office to its global network of 1,300 lawyers and A$3.5bn in annual billings.

The new outpost is led by Darren Gardner, head of the firm’s global human capital and compliance practice, alongside partners Damien Bailey, Jennifer Chambers, Luke Edwards and Darren Murphy. Gardner said the firm will grow through “careful local recruitment,” describing the Sydney team as “SEAL Team Six, not an army.”

He said the firm’s approach focuses on disputes, transactions and regulatory matters, including its human capital and compliance offering. “Fully integrating Sydney into our full-service global platform now is the natural next step,” Gardner said.

King & Spalding, ranked 25th on the Global 200, has long served Australian multinationals through its international offices and now boasts 30 Australian-qualified lawyers across its network.

It’s the first major new entrant to the Australian legal market since Dentons’ 2016 launch.

And they don’t have an easy road ahead. Consultants say the firm faces a mature and fiercely competitive market. “It’s not like they’re entering a market where there’s a lot of unmet need,” said Joel Barolsky of Barolsky Advisors.

Now, all eyes are on which Aussie rainmakers the firm targets first.

Source: King & Spalding