Global law firm DLA Piper has further strengthened its Finance and Projects practice with the appointment of two new projects partners in Sydney, Owen Hayford and Jonathan Stafford.

Owen joins DLA Piper from PwC, having established his career at Clayton Utz. He is one of Australia's leading projects lawyers, with over 20 years' experience advising on the procurement, delivery and operation of major infrastructure projects in Australia.

Jonathan joins the firm from Colin Biggers & Paisley. He previously worked at Clayton Utz, alongside Owen. He has over 15 years' experience across all aspects of projects, specialising in front-end construction work, with a particular focus on road, rail and ports, PPPs and major infrastructure projects.

Head of Finance and Projects in Australia, Onno Bakker, said: ""Owen and Jonathan are highly experienced projects partners and impressive additions to our already strong local and international projects team. We have a market leading presence and a track record of helping our clients succeed through the full life cycle of major projects, in Australia and globally.""

Managing Partner in Australia, Amber Matthews, said: ""This is an exciting period of expansion for DLA Piper in Australia, and we are delighted to welcome Owen and Jonathan to our growing partnership. These appointments further highlight our ongoing investment in strategic areas, particularly in our Finance and Projects and Corporate groups.""

International Group Head of Finance & Projects, Martin Bartlam, added: ""Thanks to our deep sector expertise, our leading global Finance and Projects team regularly advises clients on some of the most complex and high-profile deals in the market. Owen and Jonathan fit perfectly into our group’s business model because of their top-tier experience, and their arrival allows us to not only grow our practice on the ground in Australia but extend our offering to clients in other regions too.""

These two lateral hires follow the recent appointments of 11 new partners in Australia – including projects partner Tom Fotheringham from King & Wood Mallesons, five M&A partners from Norton Rose Fulbright and five partner promotions, taking the total number of new partners to 13.