28 October 2014: Clayton Utz has attracted two of the market's leading real estate lawyers to the firm as partners in the national Real Estate team.
Simon Taskunas will join the practice in Perth, where he worked before relocating to Singapore 8 years ago. In Singapore, Simon led the Real Estate team at Herbert Smith Freehills. He specialises in multidisciplinary real estate sector work for an Asia Pacific client base that includes institutional fund managers and sovereign, listed, and unlisted investors. Simon is experienced in structuring and investments, M&A, joint ventures, leasing, finance and property developments across all property classes including commercial office, retail, industrial and logistics, hospitality, and high-end residential in Australia and across Asia. Simon also has significant experience working on the project delivery side of major infrastructure and resources projects throughout Asia and previously in Perth.
Danielle Mildren will join the Canberra Real Estate team from Minter Ellison, where she was a senior member of the firm's property team. Danielle has many years' experience acting for a range of private and government clients in all aspects of property and planning law. Her experience spans leasing, sales and purchases, joint venture agreements, development agreements, retirement living, agreements for lease and general property and planning advice.
The head of the Clayton Utz national Real Estate team, Nikki Robinson, said Simon and Danielle would make valuable additions to the practice. "Simon's broad-ranging experience, particularly in major projects work and inbound investments for Asia-based clients, perfectly complements the experience of our national team. Together with Mary Pringle, Simon's addition to our Perth team means we can offer our clients an even greater depth of legal experience across the full range of real estate transactions. In Canberra, Danielle joins a market-leading team led by Alfonso del Rio and will add significantly to our offering to clients in that market."
Simon said that a number of factors attracted him to the firm: "Firstly, Clayton Utz is Australia's leading independent law firm, it's Australian owned, and it's focused on domestic and foreign clients doing business in Australia.
"The firm's values and their new generation leadership team impressed me. I liked that they are committed to growing real estate as a key practice area in Perth and across Australia.
"My family and I are excited to be returning to Perth. I look forward to joining Clayton Utz and working with their partners and staff to offer clients a market leading service."
Simon will join the firm in January 2015. Danielle will start in November 2014.