International
legal practice Norton Rose Group has just announced that Deacons Australia*
will join Norton Rose Group. The decision follows the completion of
successful votes by the respective partnerships on 22 June 2009. The
new international legal practice will be called Norton Rose Group and
will take effect from 1 January 2010.
The new Norton Rose
Group will have a turnover of more than GBP420m (AUD864m) and in excess
of 1800 fee earners in 29 offices worldwide. In the Asia Pacific
region, it will bring together more than 700 fee earners operating from
12 offices in Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Canberra, Hong Kong, Jakarta,
Melbourne, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.
From 1 January
2010, Norton Rose Group will be led by Group Chief Executive Peter
Martyr, the current Norton Rose LLP Chief Executive, and Deputy Group
Chief Executive Don Boyd, the current Deacons Australia Chief Executive
Partner. Norton Rose LLP Chairman, Stephen Parish, will be the Chairman
of Norton Rose Group.
Norton Rose Group
will be a significant global player in legal services bringing together
the heritage, strength, scale, and capabilities of two highly
successful firms. The Group will have a common global ambition, quality
of service to clients, values, systems and procedures.
Peter Martyr, Chief Executive Officer, Norton Rose LLP commented: “We
share the same global ambitions to develop our business and improve the
depth and breadth of service to our clients. This move will enhance our
international reach and in particular create one of the best resourced
legal practices in the Asia Pacific region. The economic
influence in the world is moving eastwards and in order to develop our
business we needed a significant expansion in our resources in Asia
Pacific. The increased capability of the group throughout Asia Pacific
will lay the foundations for further regional development and
expansion.”
Don Boyd, Chief Executive Partner, Deacons Australia commented: “As
soon as the initial discussions were underway it became clear that
there was a common global ambition, particularly in the predicted
growth markets of the future, namely Asia Pacific. We have shared
aspirations regarding strategic growth, both in practice area terms and
geographic expansion. The business case is compelling and the synergy
of working together is convincing.”
* Deacons Australia will join Norton Rose Group after its arrangements with Deacons Hong Kong come to an end later in the year.