The appointment of new partners Robert Ritchie and Shawn Wytenburg to Ashurst in Sydney is a key step in the firm realising its vision of creating a pre-eminent Financial Services practice.
According to Managing Partner John Carrington, the two new partners, combined with other recent appointments, has added significant depth to an already strong Financial Services practice.
“When you consider the experience, expertise and professionalism Robert and Shawn bring to the team, combined with the recent appointment of China-based partner Patrick Phua and the secondment of London-based partner Doo-Soon Choi, it is clear our Financial Services practice is going from strength to strength and has considerable depth and breadth of coverage in all areas of expertise.”
Robert is a leader in Australian and cross-border projects and corporate finance. He has a particular focus on Asian-based finance work, having acted on significant transactions on behalf of Melco Crown (based in Hong Kong and Macau), and has also worked on large domestic transactions.
Shawn is one of Australia’s leading lawyers in leveraged and acquisition financing. He has been listed in Best Lawyers since 2009 in Banking and Finance, Leveraged Buyouts and Project and Finance Development and has a Band 1 ranking in Chambers Asia Pacific and Chambers Global for B&F Acquisition Finance. Both Shawn and Robert are highly recommended in the Asia Pacific Legal 500.
Shawn’s recent deals are some of the most significant to have occurred in the financial services sector in the past 12 months and include Bain Capital’s acquisition of MYOB (recently awarded Asia Pacific Loan Market Association Private Equity Deal of the Year 2011); the Carlyle / National Hire Consortium’s merger and take private of Coates Hire; and acting for Morgan Stanley in arranging and funding Archer Capital’s successful bid for Healthe Care.
Ashurst Financial Services Practice Leader in Australia, Ray Mainsbridge, said: “Leveraged and acquisition finance, as well as project finance, are clearly strengths – not only of Ashurst in Australia’s Financial Services practice, but also of the global firm. Bringing on two such outstanding practitioners will significantly add to our already very strong offering in those areas.
“Shawn’s appointment will allow the partners and senior lawyers in that group to continue to build the practice into a market leading position in Australia,” Mr Mainsbridge said. “Given Robert’s regional focus and more than 20 years’ experience in Australian and international finance, his addition to the team will allow us to take advantage of the project financing opportunities arising throughout Asia.”
New partner Robert Ritchie said: “Ashurst was a very attractive opportunity, providing the chance to work with a truly global law firm with a strong reputation in Australia and across international borders.”
Shawn agreed with the appeal of Ashurst’s global footprint and cross-border capabilities but also pointed to the strengths of the Financial Services team already in place at our firm. “The global nature of Ashurst was definitely an attraction, as was the opportunity to work with an already very strong financial services team, with people like Paul Jenkins, Steve Smith and Martin Coleman, to bring a range of international financing solutions to our clients,” he said.
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