Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has continued the expansion of its Australia business and international construction practice with the hire of disputes partner Sean Marriott in Perth.
Sean specialises in construction disputes and international arbitration in the oil and gas, mining, power, renewables and public infrastructure sectors, and in investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). He is admitted in Australia and England & Wales and has practised in London and Perth. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Sean had a career as an engineer. He will join HFW from Clifford Chance on 4 November 2024.
HFW has now added seven construction partners globally in the last 18 months, including the appointments in May 2024 of Steven Yip and Malcolm Chin in Hong Kong and Tom Hutchison in London, and three other partner hires in Singapore, Melbourne and Dubai. With Sean’s arrival, HFW now has eight construction partners across Australia.
HFW has been consistently growing in Australia since entering the market in 2006 and has been reported as the fastest-growing law firm in Australia over the last 12 months by the Australian Financial Review. The firm has now added thirteen new partners across its offices in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney since the beginning of FY24, including a major corporate, projects, and regulatory team in Perth, and a corporate restructuring, insolvency and commercial litigation team in Melbourne. HFW’s Australia revenue grew by a third in FY24.
Michael Sergeant, Head of Construction, HFW:
“Our global construction group has more than doubled in size over the past two years in line with client demand, and we are committed to continuing that growth across our global business as we welcome Sean to the firm. Sean has significant experience advising contractors on complex construction disputes in Australia, Asia and London, and a distinguished track record in investor-state dispute settlement in construction projects. He will work closely with the construction partners in Australia and across our global network of offices and will be a great asset to the firm and our clients.”
Gavin Vallely, Managing Partner, HFW Australia:
“I am delighted to welcome Sean to HFW. Sean, like other members of the construction group, has an engineering background and will make an excellent addition to the firm’s service offering in Australia. His extensive experience in both construction and maritime disputes, combined with his engineering expertise, will be invaluable for our clients, particularly those engaged in offshore oil and gas, decommissioning, shipbuilding and offshore wind projects.”
Sean’s expertise in international arbitration of construction, energy and resources, and investor-state disputes is reflected in his recent appointment by the Attorney-General of Australia as one of Australia’s four appointees to the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators and Conciliators. He was also recently re-appointed as an Australia delegate to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA).
Sean has acted as managing counsel and advocate under various arbitral rules including ICSID, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and LMAA and in some of the biggest construction disputes in Australia. He also has significant litigation experience, including in the Technology and Construction Court and Commercial Court and Court of Appeal in London and has experience of shipping and maritime disputes.
Sean lectures and teaches on Construction Law and International Arbitration and is a member of the Thought Leadership Committee of the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA).
He was awarded International Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioner of the Year at the Australian ADR Awards in 2023 and is ranked in legal directories as one of Australia’s Leading Arbitration Lawyers and as a Construction Law Rising Star.
Sean Marriott, HFW Partner:
“HFW’s reputation as a leading construction practice in Australia and internationally continues to grow, and I am excited to be joining a firm that is committed to investing in the construction sector. In addition, HFW’s specialisation in related industry sectors including maritime, energy, mining and insurance, together with its ISDS and international arbitration practice, provides a unique service offering to construction clients in Australia, especially those undertaking onshore and offshore energy and resources and infrastructure projects. I am looking forward to working with HFW colleagues and clients in Australia and around the world.”
Sean’s arrival continues a period of sustained expansion for HFW globally that has made it one of the fastest-growing law firms in the market. HFW has added more than 50 new partners since the beginning of FY23, including team and partner hires in Hong Kong, Kuwait City, London, Melbourne, Paris, Perth, Piraeus, Riyadh, Singapore, and Sydney.
HFW now has 34 partners and more than 110 lawyers across its offices in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, working as part of an Asia Pacific team comprising more than 60 partners and over 210 lawyers and a global team of 184 Partners and more than 550 lawyers. The firm’s global construction practice comprises 19 partners and more than 90 lawyers in total. The team work internationally on some of the largest and most technically complex projects, advising on procurement, risk management, and disputes through the entire project lifecycle.
