Jones Day Makes Major Australian Play With Five-Partner Hiring Sweep

Jones Day has made one of the more significant lateral moves in the Australian legal market this year, recruiting five partners from five major firms across Sydney and Brisbane.

The US firm has hired Leigh De Jong from MinterEllison in financial markets and real estate, Christopher Flynn from Gilbert + Tobin in energy, Lance Sacks from Baker McKenzie in corporate, and Ken Saurajen from Clayton Utz in intellectual property. All four join in Sydney. In Brisbane, Dylan McKimmie joins the firm's global disputes practice from Norton Rose Fulbright.

What makes the move particularly significant is the seniority of the talent being recruited. McKimmie previously headed NRF's Brisbane office, De Jong led MinterEllison's Sydney banking and finance practice, Flynn headed Gilbert + Tobin's energy, resources and infrastructure practice, Sacks co-led Baker McKenzie's Australian transactions practice, while Saurajen was co-partner in charge of Clayton Utz's Sydney office and national technology head.

The appointments take Jones Day to 10 lateral partner hires in Australia during 2026 and 18 since launching its Australian growth strategy in mid-2024. Over the same period, its Australian lawyer headcount has grown from approximately 90 to 120 across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

LawUno Insight

This isn't opportunistic hiring.

Jones Day is assembling scale across corporate, finance, energy, disputes and technology, while taking established practice leaders from some of Australia's largest firms.

The battle for senior legal talent in Australia is becoming increasingly global.

And Jones Day clearly wants greater critical mass in the market.