DLA Piper projects partner Alex Guy is to join the firm’s Australian alliance partner DLA Phillips Fox alongside Dubai head Tony Holland.
Guy, who has been at DLA Piper for about 14 years, has been working with DLA Phillips Fox advising the New Zealand Government on a new PPP framework agreement over the last year.
Guy’s move out to DLA Phillips Fox follows news that Dubai head Tony Holland is to become the new CEO of the Australian firm (30 October 2009).
Former Mallesons partner Holland is a project finance specialist and the simultaneous move of the two DLA Piper partners marks DLA Phillips Fox’s drive to increase its PPP capability.
“Australia has the feel in terms of PPP that the UK had eight or nine years ago and is about to take off,” commented Guy. “I’ll be helping to develop their finance and projects expertise generally and raise the firm’s profile in the project finance market.”
Guy will become an equity partner at the Brisbane office of DLA Phillips Fox as of 1 January 2010. His appointment will be for a minimum of three years.
He is an expert on rail projects and has advised on London Underground and the Docklands Light Railway. He has also worked closely on the Nottingham Express Transit System on which he will continue to advise after moving down under.
Readers' comments (6)
Bruce of Emu Plains | 6-Nov-2009 7:39 am
Oh dear he's off to a bad start by commenting that the Australian PPP scene is like the UK's was 8 or 9 years ago. He'll have to learn that a Pom criticising anything Australian, or seeming to, can easily cause offence down under. And for a Pom, saying that the UK is ahead or better than Australia in anything is just not done. Anyway, in many ways the Australian PPP scene is as advanced as in the UK, and in some ways more advanced. He's going to make himself very unpopular with the locals if he carries on like this. It will be interesting if he gets any PPP work. I'm not aware of DLA Phillips Fox doing any out of Brisbane.
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Anonymous | 6-Nov-2009 12:15 pm
I smell a new story...
'DLA Phillips Fox lawyer deemed offensive'
New DLA Phillips Fox recruit Alex Guy has fallen foul of the ‘strict code of political correctness’ after a reader of The Lawyer was offended by his criticism of the Australian PPP market. Then lots of other people got offended and it went on forever and made everyone look very silly.
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Australian Lawyer | 6-Nov-2009 2:06 pm
I know the previous comment is meant to be tongue in cheek, but I actually am offended! This guy is basically describing the Aussie market as a bit backward - this kind of attitude definitely won't help him win any work!
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Anonymous | 6-Nov-2009 4:10 pm
It's these kind of offhand, thoughtless comments that can lead to a PR disaster for a law firm. Arrogance like this is not a positive image to project.
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Anonymous | 11-Nov-2009 6:28 pm
Calm down, boys. Might be worth reading the article CAREFULLY for a SECOND TIME.
All Guy is saying is that the number of PPP projects in the Australian market is "about to take off" - much like the UK market 7/8 years ago. The reference to "developing expertise" is clearly a reference to the epxertise of DLA and not, heaven forbid, the need for Aussie PPP practitioners to hone their skills.
The message is simple:
1) there's going to be a lot of work in this area over the
next few years;
2) I know a bit about this stuff;
3) I'd like to get my snout in the trough.
I think all that sunshine and XXX has gone to your heads.
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anbarasu | 19-Dec-2009 10:22 am
i like our images
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