Ashurst to establish office in Texas

Ashurst to establish office in Texas

As infrastructure investment grows, the third US office targets market opportunities

The firm has announced that it is building a third office at Austin, Texas in US.

Wes Strickland will lead the new office, which was acquired from Holland & Knight's Austin office in October 2021. The delivery will be the first unit in the US that the Anglo-Australian company has opened, after Los Angeles and New York.

The practice of Strickland specializes in advising private water utilities.

As part of the firm's strategy of strengthening its US presence as well as its some strengths throughout the world, including Australia, Strickland has been hired as part of its expansion strategy to build a multidisciplinary practice.

Anna Hermelin relocated from Japan to be the first employee of the company in Los Angeles in 2020 to set up the firm.

By opening the Austin office, Strickland will be able to increase the number of hours he spends on Los Angeles and Austin.

"Our team is well-equipped to continue to meet the significant client demand in this area by extending our geographic footprint and providing an agile working environment in all of our US offices." said Jenkins, Ashurst's global CEO.

After starting at Holland & Knight in Austin for almost three years, Strickland joined Ashurst in Los Angeles. Additionally, he previously worked for Jackson Walker in Austin and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck for over a decade, including five years with Hatch & Parent before it merged with Brownstein in 2008.

With major investments planned over the next five years, we will be able to capitalize on the significant market opportunities, and our US lawyers will still be able to meet client demand comfortably within an Austin store." Hermelin said.

In the US market, Ashurst has only reached 33 lawyers, including eight in Los Angeles, like most international law firms based outside the US.