Norton Rose Fulbright Recruits Corporate Partner in Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia
Norton Rose Fulbright has recruited corporate partner James Crowe, who previously worked for Herbert Smith Freehills, in Melbourne.
Crowe, who left Herbert Smith in 2017, specializes in mergers and acquisitions in the technology, telecommunications, infrastructure, and agribusiness sectors. In 2014, he advised Australian telecom giant Telstra Corp. Ltd. on a $270 million acquisition of Silicon Valley-based video platform company Ooyala.
Crowe joined legacy Freehills in 2004 and made partner in 2005. He led the corporate practice at Herbert Smith Freehills' Melbourne office from 2011 and 2014. After leaving the firm in 2017, he worked on a number of projects in the Australian startup space, including the establishment of Skalata Ventures, a startup accelerator backed by the state government of Victoria.
Previously, he practiced at the legacy Mallesons Stephen Jaques from 1992 to 2003 and also did a stint at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton's New York office.
In a statement, Australia managing partner Wayne Spanner said Crowe's experience in the technology and telecommunications industries will help with the firm's technology-related products and services. These include an online and mobile app that provides a risk management solution for construction and infrastructure work called Deliver & Capture, and a chatbot called Parker that answers privacy law and data breach-related questions. The firm is currently working on a cloud-based solution called Risk Sonar that manages supply chain risk and compliance requirements.
Norton Rose Fulbright has been expanding its corporate and M&A practice in Australia recently. In August, the firm recruited Paul Lingard, Clifford Chance's former Perth office managing partner, and Miriam D’Souza, a former Herbert Smith Freehills executive counsel.
The firm has also seen several departures in recent months, including its former Sydney co-head Andrew Steele, who left for Australian firm Clayton Utz in July.
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