DWF entered the Australian legal market in 2017 and has since opened four offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle. In addition to the merger with FT Adjusting, and in a further boost to the Australian Connected Services division, Paul Sherlock has joined as the new claims director of DWF Claims, based in Sydney.
DWF now has more than 110 people in Australia, including 19 principal lawyers and more than 50 other fee earners providing clients with a range of complex, managed and connected services.
Jamie McPherson, managing director of DWF's Australian business, said: “While bespoke legal counsel remains key to clients’ commercial success, clients also now require complementary services to solve wider business challenges. Meeting this broader need means disrupting how things are done which is why we introduced Connected Services in late 2017.
"The merger of FT Adjusting with our DWF Adjusting business is the next milestone in the rapid expansion of Connected Services in Australia. By offering services adjacent to traditional legal advice, such as insurance loss adjusting, we're listening to and responding to our clients' needs."
Ian McWalter, director of FT Adjusting, said: "We have developed a niche practice boasting industry professionals who achieve great results for our clients. In joining with the DWF Adjusting business, we will be able to provide our clients with a wider range of complementary services and support the continued growth of the DWF Adjusting business here in Australia."
The FT Adjusting merger means DWF Adjusting now has a growing footprint, with teams in the UK and Canada, as well as the new team in Australia, able to offer a multi-disciplinary service to DWF's global insurer clients.