Blake Dawson Waldron announced that ANZ Banking Group’s Deputy General Counsel, Peter Stirling, has returned to the firm in Melbourne.
A top M&A lawyer and highly skilled commercial negotiator, Stirling will add a new dimension to the firm’s formidable national Corporate team.
Prior to joining ANZ’s corporate strategy group in 1999, Stirling was a senior associate at Blake Dawson Waldron’s Corporate Group in Melbourne. He returns to the firm’s Melbourne office as a partner.
Peter Stirling said: “It’s an exciting time to come back to Blake Dawson Waldron. John Atkin has been at the helm for a couple of years now and the firm’s strategy is firmly entrenched. I am looking forward to being part of a team driving that strategy for the benefit of our clients.
“I am also looking forward to helping further develop the Melbourne Corporate practice. Because of my senior role at ANZ, I have a much better perspective on what clients expect from their external legal advisers; I now have a real empathy for what it’s like in the client’s shoes.”
At ANZ, Stirling was involved in a number of the bank’s largest transactions, including the sale of Grindlays Bank to Standard Chartered Bank, the formation of ANZ’s funds management joint venture with ING. Most recently, he was involved in ANZ’s high profile acquisition of The National Bank of New Zealand (NBNZ) and associated rights issue.
David Williamson, Head of Corporate at Blake Dawson Waldron said: ” We are delighted that Peter has rejoined our team. He is particularly well regarded for his commercial acumen. Peter’s savvy and his understanding of the needs of in-house counsel make him a great addition to our Corporate team.”
