BUSINESS LEGAL EAGLE HEADS TO NEW FIRM

BUSINESS legal eagle Brett Heading has moved to the new Brisbane office of global law firm Jones Day.

Heading (pictured) is well respected in corporate circles, having served as chairman and partner of McCullough Robertson for more than 30 years.

He has advised company boards in managing capital raisings, as well as major IPOs including Corporate Travel Management (ASX:CTD), ERM Power (ASX:EPW), Shine Lawyers (ASX:SHJ) and Devine (ASX:DVN).

Heading will also resign as chairman from the board of drug developer Invion (ASX:IVX) to focus on his new role at Jones Day.

"After 37 wonderful years at McCullough Robertson, I thought it was an opportunity to do something different in the twilight of my career," Heading says.

"Any leader of any organisation has to make sure others have the opportunity to lead in their particular way. It's time for others to take the firm forward."

Heading says he will bring expertise in corporate law, as well as experience in growing a business, to his new role.

He has a number of commercial interests in agribusiness, as well as vineyard Clovely Estate in the South Burnett region.

"Jones Day has put together an enviable group of lawyers in Sydney and the partner-in-charge in Queensland is going to be John Cooper - who is a marvellous lawyer with lots of energy," he says.

"I think the quality of lawyers that they're assembling will give them a competitive advantage."

The new Jones Day Brisbane office will initially focus on M&A, major projects, and project-related disputes, with an emphasis on the natural resources, construction, transport, and agriculture sectors.

Brisbane is Jones Day's third office in Australia, and 43rd worldwide. The firm opened its Sydney office in 1998 and its Perth office in 2014.

Jones Day's Australian offices have more than 60 lawyers providing a range of services for clients, including litigation, projects and infrastructure, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, intellectual property, and restructuring and insolvency.

Jones Day's partner-in-charge of Australia and Japan Chris Ahern says the new office builds on the depth of talent in the Sydney and Perth offices.

"It is 10 years to the day that Jones Day commenced practicing local law in Australia and we continue to recruit market leading lawyers to the firm so that we can best assist the firm's clients," says Ahern.

"We are delighted to welcome Brett as a partner - he has deep roots in the Queensland legal and business community and he is a preeminent corporate lawyer in that market who has a deep understanding of the issues confronting foreign investors looking to take a stake in significant Queensland projects and infrastructure.

"Queensland's economy is innately entwined with Asia and our office will be capable of serving clients on their local investments, project development, and consequential disputes."