A&O Shearman is sharpening its ambitions in Australia, signalling a more aggressive push against the country’s heavyweight independent firms with the appointment of veteran partner Peter McDonald as local co-managing partner. The Australian Financial Review indicated in a report that McDonald makes little attempt to disguise the firm’s intentions.
Arguing that A&O Shearman’s global reach gives it a decisive advantage, he says multinational clients increasingly need advisers with deep cross-border capability rather than purely domestic muscle.
With 30 partners in Australia backed by a global network of around 4,000 lawyers, the firm believes it is well positioned to compete for the biggest transactions, disputes and regulatory mandates.
The media release on McDonald’s appointment follows.
A&O Shearman has appointed Peter McDonald as co managing partner for Australia, effective July 1, 2026. Peter joins David Jenaway, who continues as co managing partner, to lead the firm’s Australian practice. Peter succeeds Jason Denisenko, who has served in the role since 2013 and will continue in practice with the firm as an FSR partner.
Hervé Ekué, global managing partner of A&O Shearman, said: “Peter is one of the top competition and regulatory lawyers in Australia and brings a wealth of experience and client focus to this role. Together with David, they will continue to advance our strategic priorities in the Australian market and grow our practice further.
I would also like to thank Jason for his exceptional contribution and unwavering commitment for 13 years, and I am delighted that he will remain an integral part of the firm in his ongoing role.”
“Australia sits at the intersection of some of the most significant regulatory and transactional trends shaping the Asia Pacific region. I look forward to working closely with David to build on our success here in Australia and across APAC.”
Peter McDonald is based in the Sydney office and leads the firm’s competition team across the APAC region. He specializes in competition law, consumer and regulatory matters, advising clients on merger clearances, joint ventures, access to infrastructure, and enforcement responses. Prior to joining the firm, Peter served as a senior officer at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The appointment follows a period of significant investment in A&O Shearman’s Australian practice, with new partner hires over the past year across Sydney and Perth: Amy Middlebrook (Litigation, Sydney), Catherine Pedler (Disputes, Perth), Dannelle Howley (Real Estate, Sydney), and Lisa Koch (Finance, Perth).
