Hogan Lovells has hired partners Andrew Crook and Ros O'Mally from Gilbert & Tobin, Scott Harris from DLA Piper and Richard Hayes from King & Wood Mallesons as it increased its partner count in its Australia offices from two to six. 

In March last year, the firm opened its offices in Perth and Sydney with two partners, Tim and Nicky Lester. Both Lesters joined from Australian law firm Allens.   

Crook is a private equity specialist, but also has experience in mergers and strategic investments and divestments, including transactions covering multiple jurisdictions. Prior to Gilbert & Tobin, Crook worked in New Zealand with Russell McVeagh, in Singapore with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and in London with Skadden Arps Meagher & Flom.

Harris’ specific areas of expertise include workouts, debt restructuring, asset management and security enforcement for financial institutions and advising on special situations opportunities through deeds of company arrangement or schemes of arrangement. Prior to his stint at DLA Piper in Sydney, Harris was with Hogan Lovells in London for more than years before returning to Sydney to join Henry Davis York.

Hayes has experience across a broad range of banking and financing transactions, specialising in leveraged, acquisition and general corporate finance. He represents private equity sponsors and corporations on acquisitions and other financings. Hayes worked with Allen & Overy in London and with White & Case in New York as a partner before returning to Australia and joining King & Wood Mallesons. 

O'Mally has experience across a broad range of banking and financing transactions, including PPPs and privatisations, project finance, structured finance, corporate finance and derivatives. Previously, she worked at Credit Suisse in London and Merrill Lynch in Australia, apart from Clayton Utz and Herbert Smith Freehills.