3 New Partners Joined by 20 Support Staff

Powered By LawFuel –Sparke Helmore Lawyers is delighted to announce it will welcome five new Partners to the partnership from ClarkeKann Brisbane.

These new Partners will be joined by 20 lawyers and support staff.

Sparke Helmore’s National Managing Partner Phillip Salem said, “I am thrilled to welcome such an exceptional team to our firm. The addition of these individuals to our Corporate & Commercial practice is yet another critical step in enhancing the legal expertise we provide to our clients in the Brisbane market and nationally. At a strategic level, these hires fit seamlessly with our ambition to be a market-leading Australian professional services business.”

The Partners—John Toigo, Paul O’Dea, Shane Williamson, Brad Vinning and Steven Cardell—are outstanding practitioners. Their client base ranges from SMEs, public companies and start-ups to government and government-owned corporations. All five come to us with formidable reputations in the Brisbane market.

John is one of Queensland’s top corporate lawyers and is well-known for specialising in corporate transactions, foreign investment as well as mining and resources. He has also been instrumental in developing the leading Taiwanese project investment legal practice in Australia.

Paul has a wealth of expertise in all aspects of property, town planning and environmental law. He is best known in recent years for his work with some of Australia’s largest developers in landmark Queensland projects. Paul also has developed a reputation for excellence in the field of liquor licensing and gaming laws.

Shane is a force in litigation and dispute resolution as well as debt recovery and insolvency. He has experience across a range of industry sectors and has specialist expertise in professional disciplinary jurisdictions acting for both regulators and individuals.

Brad has a passion for guiding companies at every stage of their growth cycle across a broad range of corporate and commercial transactions. He also advises a number of ASX and TSX listed companies on a range of regulated and M&A transactions.

Steven is highly regarded for his skill in all aspects of property law. He specialises in development work involving complicated community titling and body corporate structuring.

“Sparke Helmore and ClarkeKann Brisbane have long histories as proudly Australian firms. We immediately saw the synergies with our strategies, our culture and values as well as our commitment to exceptional client service. The two firms joining forces makes for exciting times and demonstrates Sparke Helmore’s recognition of the importance of the Brisbane market to its business”, said John Toigo, Partner and outgoing Chairman of ClarkeKann Brisbane.

Sparke Helmore’s Brisbane office will have 12 partners and 25 lawyers and a total headcount of 113 making it a force to be reckoned with in the Brisbane market.

About Sparke Helmore

We’ve come a long way since our doors first opened in the Hunter in 1882. We’ve had an office in Sydney since the ‘60s and we recently opened our ninth office in Darwin.

We cover five key areas of law – Corporate & Commercial, Commercial Insurance, Government, Statutory Lines of Insurance and Workplace – with more than 30 specialised areas of expertise. We’re a truly national, full service and proudly Australian firm that delivers results through deep collaboration with our clients. Wherever our clients need us, that’s where we’ll be.

Covering a big country needs a big team—we’re more than 950 people now and still growing. And in true Australian spirit, we’re friendly, approachable and easy to work with. And when you work with one of us, you get the expertise of all of us.