DWF has announced a significant expansion of its insurance practice in Australia, recruiting nine partners from Hall & Wilcox’s London market team.
This strategic move enhances DWF’s presence in the region and bolsters its offerings for insurers and London market syndicates.
The team, led by Matt Curll and Rachael Arnold, brings a portfolio of work that aligns with DWF’s global client base. Their addition is expected to strengthen DWF’s ability to support insurers in Australia and internationally.
Matthew Doughty, CEO of DWF insurance services, said the decision to expand in Australia reflects the company’s focus on organic growth and targeted recruitment.
“It has long been a strategic priority to grow our business organically in key markets such as Australia, including through senior lateral hire recruitment. We believe this move will significantly strengthen our ability to support clients across Australia and globally,” he said.
Matt Dudakov, managing director of DWF Australia, highlighted the alignment between the new team and the company’s broader goals.
“We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues to the business. Our team here in Australia has driven dramatic growth in recent years, and the addition of this stellar team will add further momentum to our success,” he said.
Dudakov said the addition of the new team complements DWF’s acquisition of Proclaim.
“It builds on, and is highly complementary to, our recent acquisition of Proclaim, the leading Lloyd's of London claims management business in Australia,” he said.
Jon Broome, managing director of Proclaim, noted that the incoming Hall & Wilcox team is well-regarded by Proclaim and its clients.
“We, and a number of our clients, know the team well and this presents an opportunity for us to deliver a more integrated service in the future across the whole claims lifecycle, whilst at the same time respecting clients’ preferences as to outside counsel and their existing panel arrangements,” he said.
The new hires will primarily operate out of Sydney, with members also based in Brisbane, Newcastle, and Melbourne. They are expected to join DWF by May 2025.
DWF’s insurance services division, with approximately 2,000 professionals globally, is a key provider of legal and business services to the insurance sector.
Commenting on the partners and teams leaving the firm for DWF, Hall & Wilcox said that while the departure is unfortunate, the individuals who left were primarily handling claims for London insurance syndicates, which is – to a significant extent – a discrete practice.
“We practise across many commercial and insurance service lines and sectors. We have had significant growth and success over recent years. Much of this growth has resulted from partners and teams joining our great firm. It is inevitable that, from time to time, partners will decide to join another firm,” said Graydon Dowd, chief executive partner at Hall & Wilcox.
The firm offered assurances that the departure will not impact its ability to support its insurance clients.
“Our ability to service our insurance clients (across all general, statutory, professional, and specialised lines) will not be impacted, and we are focused on ensuring minimal disruption to our people and clients,” Dowd said.
