Legal press reports indicate that the former global chair of Norton Rose Fulbright is to leave her office in Sydney to join DLA Piper.

Tricia Hobson has been a woman legal leader for some time and was elected to the position at Norton Rose in 2018 after 13 years at the firm.

In an interview with Legal500 she indicated the pride she had in working with Norton Rose, commenting that it was the first law firm in Australia to break the 30 per cent female barrier, saying it was “all about being proactive and creating opportunities and mentors for the next generation.”

“We’ve made a lot of progress in appointing women into leadership roles. Having senior female role models is incredibly important for law firms.

“Being appointed the firm’s first female global chair was personally important to me and I hope it has demonstrated to our talented female lawyers that they have every reason to aim high and expect their successes to be recognised and rewarded.”

The position is yet to be confirmed formally by either law firm.