K&L Gates elevates two in Australia

Melbourne and Sydney lawyers are among the 34 new partners of the global firm

K&L Gates elevates two in Australia

Two Australian lawyers are among the 34 new members of the global K&L Gates partnership.

Christien Corns and Gordon McCann have been named partners by the top American firm. Among the newly promoted partners, Nick Williams and Mark Tan in Singapore and Amanda Darling in Charleston, are also Australia-qualified lawyers.

Corns, who is based in Melbourne, is a litigation expert. He has extensive experience in insurance, professional indemnity, and large estate litigation. The lawyer – who joined legacy national firm Middletons in 2004 – also advises clients on defamation, contempt, and related media issues.

Most Read

Sydney-based McCann specialises in corporate law. He has particular focus on private-treaty M&A, divestments, and investments in the Australian mid-market. He typically acts in transactions valued between $30m and $300m. McCann has worked at Allens Arthur Robinson and at Baker McKenzie. He joined K&L Gates from Sparke Helmore in early 2016.

The promotions follow’s K&L Gates’ double-partner hire in Melbourne in January, when it appointed partners Luke Westmore and Zac Kerr from Mills Oakley.


Christien Corns and Gordon McCann

The other new K&L Gates partners are:

Berlin, Germany

  • Dr Martin Berg
  • Dr Michael Thomas Melber

Boston, Massachusetts,  USA

  • Kenneth Holston
  • Christopher Valente

Brussels, Belgium

  • Francesco Carloni

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

  • Amanda Darling
  • Andrew Lloyd

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

  • Justin Carpenter
  • Christopher Walker

Chicago, Illinois, USA

  • Aaron Morrow

Dallas, Texas, USA

  • Jennifer Klein Ayers
  • Joshua Skora

Dubai, UAE

  • Monique O’Donoghue

London, UK

  • Catherine Adam
  • Martin King
  • Jennifer Marsh

Milan, Italy

  • Stefano Bardella

Munich, Germany

  • Dr Martina Ortner
  • Dr Philipp Riedl

New York, New York, USA

  • Caitlin Beer
  • Joseph Valenti

Seattle, Washington, USA

  • Elizabeth Crouse
  • Scott McJannet
  • John Wilson

Singapore

  • Christopher Tan
  • Mark Tan
  • Nick Williams

Tokyo, Japan

  • Yuki Okada
  • Nobuki Wada

Washington DC, USA

  • Jennifer Crowder
  • Marguerite Laurent

The promotions came into effect at the start of the month.

 

Related stories:
Global firm acts as US company buys Perth-based rail technology developer
American giant grows with double-partner hire in Melbourne

Recent articles & video

London law firm penalized for lapses in anti-money laundering training for its staff

Report reveals South Korea faces persistent gender gap in the legal profession

Promotions round beefs up Clyde & Co's Australia partnership

Piper Alderman, Holding Redlich recognised in 2025 Best Lawyers Australia

Far West Regional Law Soc roundtable focuses on access to justice

American Bar Association president Mary Smith calls for action as threats against judges surge

Most Read Articles

Nine promoted to partner at HSF's Australia branch

Brisbane BTR project kicks off with Ashurst's help

K&L Gates lures JWS M&A partner

KWM pitches in on $3.5bn raising for Kinetic