K&L Gates has hired partner Liz Gray, former head of Henry Davis York’s financial services group in Sydney. Gray, along with senior associates Matthew Watts and Lisa Lautier and lawyer Edward Vassie, joins the US firm’s investment management team.
Gray - who was at Henry Davis York for 18 years - is an investment funds expert, advising clients on formation and structuring, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and financial services regulatory matters.
K&L Gates’ Australian managing partner Nick Nichola said: “Australia is a global leader in funds management, with the industry valued at more than a trillion dollars. Having previously worked with many of the major fund managers in Australia, Liz possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience and will add to our already strong investment management capabilities both in Australia and the Asia Pacific region more broadly.”
K&L gates has made several lateral hires across the region in the past six months. In October last year the firm poached a total of four partners from Squire Sanders in Perth, Clayton Utz and Sparke Helmore in Sydney, and HWL Ebsworth in Melbourne.
Gray is also the second investment management partner to join K&L Gates’ Asia practice this year - Greg Heaton joined the firm’s Hong Kong office in January.