Freehills has announced that West Australian partner Jason Ricketts will assume the title of managing partner Australia following the firm’s merger with Herbert Smith in October.

The announcement comes as a result of current CEO and managing partner Gavin Bell moving into a global role following the Herbert Smith Freehills commencement. “The choice of Jason as Australian managing partner not only reflects his strong performance and leadership, but also the importance of Perth as a growing business hub for Asia Pacific and its strength in natural resources,” said Bell.

The new global firm will be organised around global practice groups and will be co-led by joint CEOs David Willis from Herbert Smith and Bell.

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