Jones Day adds five partners in Australia across five different practices
Five partners have joined Jones Day in Australia, bolstering the Firm's capacity to serve clients across a broad range of complex domestic and cross-border matters. The new partners are:
Brisbane:
- Dylan McKimmie – Global Disputes
Sydney:
- Leigh De Jong – Financial Markets / Real Estate
- Christopher Flynn – Energy
- Lance Sacks – Corporate
- Ken Saurajen –Intellectual Property
With these additions, Jones Day has added 10 lateral partners in 2026 and 18 lateral partners since mid-2024 when it launched a strategic growth plan in Australia. During that same period, the Firm has grown in Australia from 90 to 120 lawyers across its offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Jones Day's strategy in Australia has focused on strengthening core areas where client demand is intensifying, including cross-border corporate transactions, energy and infrastructure projects, complex litigation and international arbitration, real estate development and investment and intellectual property.
"These five partners bring additional elite talent to a market that matters deeply to our clients around the world," said Chris Lovrien, Jones Day's Partner-in-Charge of Australia. "Australia is a leading market for sophisticated companies in the energy and resources, technology, financial, health care and consumer products sectors. These arrivals deepen the strong cross-practice capability we bring to multinational businesses operating here. Just as importantly, we are building even greater connectivity for Australian companies and financial institutions pursue opportunities beyond Australia by accessing the seamless, cross-border teams that define Jones Day's One-Firm-Worldwide approach. These appointments mean more capability, more collaboration and more value for clients in every direction—whether we are advising international businesses on complex matters in Australia or advancing and protecting the interests of Australian clients all around the world."
Leigh De Jong is a strategic advisor to financiers, borrowers, sponsors, corporates, private equity funds and sovereign wealth funds on complex real estate and corporate financing transactions. His experience includes numerous multi-billion dollar syndicated and bilateral facilities, mezzanine debt and preferred equity, equity joint ventures and debt restructurings. Recent achievements include advising on more than $10 billion of debt facilities to a global private equity firm, multiple REIT take-privates in excess of $5 billion and multiple innovative A/B loan structures. Mr. De Jong earned his bachelor of laws degree from Monash University.
Christopher Flynn is one of Australia's leading energy and infrastructure lawyers, with experience that encompasses complex M&A, project development and cross-border ventures. He has worked on matters across the energy, security, data, defense, space and telecommunications sectors in more than 60 countries and his recent deals include an $18 billion bid for a leading integrated Australian energy company, investment in a landmark globally relevant data center campus, a $2.2 billion acquisition of a portfolio of LNG assets and a 50% sell-down of Australian and New Zealand assets for a global energy renewal company. Mr. Flynn is ranked by Chambers Global and Chambers Asia-Pacific in Energy & Natural Resources. He earned his master of laws degree from the University of Sydney and double undergraduate degrees in law and commerce from Griffith University.
Dylan McKimmie is a litigation and arbitration lawyer whose practice focuses on major resource and infrastructure project disputes, commercial disputes, construction disputes and regulatory litigation, both in Australia and internationally. Ranked by Chambers, Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers in Australia across litigation, alternative dispute resolution, international arbitration and competition law, his substantial achievements include appearing as counsel for a major energy company in a landmark 2024 decision by the High Court of Australia, a ruling that represents the first time an apex court in any of the 100+ United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Model Law countries invalidated an arbitration award on functus officio grounds. Mr. McKimmie earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from Queensland University of Technology.
Lance Sacks is an M&A lawyer who has advised on numerous complex mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and capital raisings. His experience spans industries such as technology, financial services, consumer goods and energy. Recognized by Chambers Asia-Pacific and Best Lawyers in Australia in Mergers & Acquisitions, Mr. Sacks' recent deals include advising a major Sydney-based private equity firm and Asian sovereign wealth fund on the sale of a leading Australian developer and operator, and advising one of the largest global energy companies on numerous M&A transactions including the sale of its metering and data management company to a private equity backed digital energy management organization. He earned his master of laws degree from the University of Sydney and his bachelor of laws degree from the University of Witwatersrand.
Ken Saurajen is a leading corporate, technology, media and telecommunications transactions lawyer experienced across Australia and the Asia Pacific region on complex technology transactions, and advising company boards on large-scale technology, infrastructure and engineering projects. Consistently recognized with leading rankings in all major legal directories, including Chambers (Band 1), Legal 500 Asia-Pacific and Best Lawyers Australia, his landmark projects span financial services, software, healthcare, telecommunications, media, transport, utilities, payments and infrastructure. These include advising a state government in a world-first silicon quantum computing investment and overhaul of its long-standing ICT procurement framework, acting on Australia's first general banking ledger migration into the cloud and advising on the transformative $1.2b unification of the country's legacy civil and military air traffic control systems. Mr. Saurajen earned his bachelor of commerce and bachelor of laws degrees from the University of New South Wales.
