Squire Sanders & Minters Moving Forward
Australia’s Squire Sanders is taking an aggressive and quite public stance on its recruitment plans for the near future, with John Poulsen stating that the law firm will be actively seeking to acquire talent from top tier firms. From Lawyer’s Weekly:
“Poulsen said that Squire Sanders was currently in discussions with a number of partners from what he described as “top-tier” firms to open the firm’s second Australian office in Sydney by the end of the year.
‘The core group we are looking at in Sydney would be in the corporate, M&A, finance and debt, and capital markets spaces,’ said Poulsen, who declined to comment on whether the discussions involved partners from several firms or only one firm.
Poulsen added that while the firm had spoken to boutique firms in Sydney about a possible merger that was knocked on the head because those potential suitors didn’t have the right cultural, strategic and financial fit.
Poulsen also rejected previous reports that Middletons was one of the proposed merger partners Squire Sanders had discussions with.
‘We have never spoken to Middletons,’ he said. ‘We are not talking to the mid tier, but we are talking to people at top-tier firms.’
Well, most high profile lawyers and firms aren’t known for excessive modesty.
“Speaking about the firm’s move in Perth, Poulsen said his previous battles with depression, and his role on committees dealing with anxiety and depression within the Law Society of Western Australia, had shaped his view of how the firm’s new office should be designed.
‘Given my background, we have put a lot of thought into creating an environment that is a great environment for people to work in,’ he said.
Squire Sanders rejected an open-plan design and went with what is termed a “pavilion” approach, where no offices are placed next to windows.
The firm has also eschewed the dark colours used in traditional office design and used lighter colours that will incorporate natural light, which will be generated from the firm’s location on levels 20 and 21, the top two levels of the building.
Sounds kind of new agey, but also like it might not be a place to work. If it is, let us know!
And have a look at what’s on offer for top legal talent in Australia at Law Alliance.
