K&L Gates Continues Strong Growth in Corporate, Real Estate Practices with Two Partner Additions in Perth

Perth – Global law firm K&L Gates continues its expansion in Australia with the addition of partners Simon Moen to its Real Estate practice and Luke Paterson to the Corporate practice in Perth. The duo brings a combined wealth of experience, having worked collaboratively on a wide range of cross-practice, cross-sector transactions for more than a decade. They join the firm from Jackson McDonald, where Moen was its Real Estate practice group leader and former board member, and Paterson was a senior Corporate partner.

For more than two decades, Moen has focused his practice on all areas of real estate, urban renewal, and land development law, representing corporate and private developers, ASX listed property owners, foreign investors, government entities, and not-for-profit organisations. He regularly advises on complex and high-value property transactions, including acquisitions, disposals and anchor tenant lease transactions. Moen's extensive sector experience also encompasses industrial property, the development of social infrastructure and green fields transactions. He is focused and deeply passionate about initiatives that help to tackle housing supply and affordability challenges with a practice that also leverages his comprehensive understanding of the legislative regimes governing off-the-plan strata, retirement living, and aged care.

Paterson is a highly experienced commercial and corporate lawyer, who focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), commercial matters, and corporate and venture capital transactions. He represents a wide range of clients including multinationals, listed entities, family business owners, start-ups, venture capital funds, and high-net-worth family enterprises. His extensive multi-sector experience spans mining services, technology, renewables and clean energy, construction, agribusiness, syndicated property assets, start-ups and tourism assets. He also provides counsel to many Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs in the structure, formation, and operation of joint ventures around Australia. Beyond his professional pursuits, Paterson also serves as a director and member of the board of Australian Sailing, the governing body for the sport of sailing in Australia.

Commenting on the appointments, K&L Gates' Regional Managing Partner, Australia, Jason Opperman said: "The recruitment of Simon and Luke to the firm represents a significant and exciting development in the growth story of K&L Gates in the Australian market, particularly in Perth which is at the epicentre of a very dynamic and resource-rich part of the economy. They both bring outstanding skillsets that are in high demand, and we see immense opportunity to combine our global platform with their strong local knowledge and capability to deliver exceptional outcomes for our local and international clients, many of whom are engaged in high-value inbound investments and complex cross-border deals."

Moen and Paterson’s arrival closely follows a series of recent lateral hires in Australia. Since the beginning of 2024, the firm has welcomed eight new partners, including Intellectual Property partner, Sally Foreman (Melbourne), Corporate partners Divesh Patel (Sydney), Carl Hinze (Brisbane), and Khilen Devani (Brisbane), Finance partner Claudine Salameh (Sydney), and Real Estate partner Justin O'Callaghan (Brisbane). 

Lawyers in K&L Gates’ large, diversified Real Estate practice advise clients in a variety of real estate investment, land use, planning and zoning, development and construction, financing, leasing, tax, and litigation matters around the world.

K&L Gates’ Corporate practice is one of the most substantial in the legal industry, with more than 500 lawyers in offices on five continents assisting clients in the structuring, financing, and completion of domestic, international, and cross-border transactions. The group serves as counsel to a broad array of Global 500, Fortune 100, FTSE 100 corporations, privately held and venture-backed companies, partnerships, private equity firms, other investment funds, management groups, and entrepreneurs.