1 February 2005 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Mallesons Stephen Jaques is boosting its regional construction practices in the booming states of Western Australia and Queensland through the addition of further specialist on-ground expertise in its Perth and Brisbane offices.
Partner Jim Delkousis’s transfer from Melbourne to the firm’s Perth office means clients of the Perth centre will gain from Mr Delkousis’s extensive international and local experience in major projects.
Mr Geoff Wood, National Practice Head of Construction for Mallesons, says that Mr Delkousis’s transfer is in direct response to the current boom in construction in Western Australia.
“Mallesons has committed to the provision of on-ground, high calibre professionals in advance of the commencement of a large number of energy, resources and other infrastructure-related projects in Western Australia.
“Jim’s move is a further example of the firm’s commitment to place experienced senior professionals in Perth to oversee the booming market conditions there, as well as better service the growing needs of our clients nationally and internationally. This follows the recent transfer to Perth of specialist project finance partner Nicholas Creed.”
In Queensland, Mallesons has appointed Stephen Webb, a former Clifford Chance Hong Kong partner, as a consultant to head the firm’s Brisbane construction practice.
Acting for lenders, sponsors, contractors/suppliers and government bodies, from his Hong Kong base, Stephen has worked extensively across the Asia region for the last eight years particularly on major infrastructure, transportation and energy projects. Prior to that, he worked in the Brisbane market for a number of years.
“It’s great to be re-entering the Queensland market at a time when it’s so vibrant and dynamic. There is certainly a lot more construction and project finance work around than when I left for Hong Kong – particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Being a part of the high quality work Mallesons is already handling, both here and in Asia, while enjoying the Brisbane lifestyle seems like the perfect outcome,” said Mr Webb.
Geoff Wood says that China’s increasing demand for Western Australia’s mineral and energy exports to support its industrial expansion has meant greatly increased workloads for lawyers in that region. In addition, he stated that Queensland’s vibrant economy and the population shift to the state’s south east has meant a greater need for improved infrastructure which means that, “Mallesons is now at the forefront of these developments offering a comprehensive approach to both localised and interstate transactions”.
