Mills Oakley poaches MinterEllison partner for new Adelaide office

Commercial law firm Mills Oakley is doubling down on an aggressive growth strategy, poaching a MinterEllison partner to head up a new office in Adelaide.

Mills Oakley chief executive John Nerurker.

Commercial law firm Mills Oakley will open a new office in Adelaide in the new year, doubling down on an aggressive expansion strategy that has made it one of the fastest growing firms in the country.

MinterEllison real estate partner Stephen Hill has been poached to head up the Adelaide office, which will open in January with about 15 staff.

Around half of those are existing Mills Oakley lawyers who have been working remotely from Adelaide during Covid-19, with the rest nabbed from competing firms including Mr Hill’s property team at MinterEllison.

Mills Oakley chief executive John Nerurker said expansion into Adelaide had been on the firm’s radar for many years.

“Our feedback from local clients was that other national firms were taking the Adelaide market for granted,” he said.

“Our view was that we had to find the right talent and the right moment. When Stephen was first introduced to us, we realised that the planets had finally aligned.

“There is no exact science to expansion, only the art of securing people who share the firm’s calibre and values.”

The Adelaide expansion follows a string of acquisitions of boutique firms by Mills Oakley, adding to its litigation, corporate and insurance offerings.

Sydney insurance advice and litigation firm Vardanega Roberts and Melbourne-based commercial litigation specialist Patrick & Associates were both brought into the firm in October.

According to The Australian’s Legal Partnership survey, published earlier this week, Mills Oakley now has 136 partners, up more than 7 per cent over the past 12 months, and 398 fee earning lawyers at sub-partner level, 23.6 per cent higher than the same time last year.

The impressive figures come amid concerns the economic slowdown will continue to put a handbrake on organic growth across the legal sector next year.

In Adelaide, Mr Hill said Mills Oakley would initially focus on property, insurance, litigation and insolvency services, but was also actively recruiting across other practice areas.

“Doing business in Adelaide requires an appreciation of the commercial drivers and the values of the local market,” he said.

“From the outset, it was clear that Mills Oakley offered the culture and synergies which would best allow my clients to achieve their objectives.

“I am honoured to be the foundation partner for the Adelaide office and to play my part in delivering the firm’s vision for a formidable full-service presence and a new value proposition for Adelaide.”

From its origins in Melbourne in 1864, Mills Oakley has grown to become one of the country’s largest national law firms with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and now Adelaide.