Public infrastructure expert moves to rival

The new special counsel brings with her a rare background and set of skills

Public infrastructure expert moves to rival
Maddocks has looked to Ashurst to bolster its construction and projects practice.

Catherine Baxter has joined the firm as special counsel in Sydney from Ashurst, where she was counsel. Before Ashurst, she was special counsel at Clayton Utz. She was also previously an in-house legal adviser to the Department of Transport and a policy adviser to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, both in the UK.

“Catherine brings with her a rare background and set of skills having worked with and within government on a number of major public infrastructure projects. Her property and public law skillset with a projects focus is highly complementary to our current team,” said Andrew Chapman, Maddocks partner and Sydney construction and projects practice leader.

Baxter is a public infrastructure expert and a trusted adviser to the New South Wales government. She has played key roles in many of the state’s recent major public infrastructure programs, including the Sydney Metro City & Southwest railway, the Sydney Metro Northwest railway, the Barangaroo Ferry Hub, and the Kooragang Island Coal Loader project.

She has a particular focus on property and public law dimensions of major projects, taking into account the property, construction, and public law aspects to minimise risk.

Her arrival means the firm has valuable support in an area of focus, Maddocks said.

“‘One of our key focus areas is the Government sector. Transport projects in NSW are a major part of that focus,” said Mathew Stulic, Maddocks partner and transport lead.


Catherine Baxter


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