Global law firm Ashurst announces the expansion of its legal-led risk consulting division, Ashurst Risk Advisory (ARA), with the development of a new Transformation Risk offering and the appointments of Rob Walsh, Jonathan Perkinson and Mark Kuzma as partners. The appointments will further develop the firm's risk advisory offering and enhance the collaboration between the firm's risk, legal and delivery offerings.
Ashurst Risk Advisory was established in 2020 and is now one of the fastest-growing divisions of the firm, posting revenue growth of close to 50 per cent globally year on year. The division now has 21 partners globally (18 in Australia, 2 in the UK and 1 in the Middle East). Risk Advisory teams work closely with Ashurst's lawyers to offer integrated advice to help clients address legal issues and operationalise risk management.
The three new strategic hires underscore Ashurst's commitment to outpacing change by providing innovative and integrated solutions for fast-moving client issues and offering comprehensive risk-management solutions to our clients. These appointments follow Ashurst's earlier announcement of four Australian partner hires and the new Infrastructure, Places, and Capital Projects Advisory offering.
The integrated Transformation Risk offering is designed to identify and mitigate transformation risks and engage with clients throughout the complete lifecycle of major transformation programs to better manage risk and protect value, particularly in the banking, energy, utilities, and private equity sectors. It will include:
- Program governance;
- Comprehensive risk assessments;
- Ongoing risk mitigation support;
- Third-party risk and contracting management;
- Oversight of program performance management (and associated course corrections); and
- Assurance to business stakeholders.
Rob Walsh
Rob Walsh joins Ashurst after a distinguished career in risk advisory spanning three decades, including 20 years as a partner. As a trusted adviser to boards and senior executives, Rob has overseen some of Australia's largest and most-complex regulatory enforcement programs. He has advised on the design and implementation of successful business and customer remediation programs subject to intense market and regulatory scrutiny. Rob has served as an independent expert for clients, addressing concerns from the ACCC, ACMA, APRA, AUSTRAC, ASIC, and OAIC on changing market landscape matters. His international experience includes leading multidisciplinary, cross-border teams across Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. He joins Ashurst from EY.
Jonathan Perkinson
Jonathan Perkinson brings over 21 years of professional services experience to Ashurst. His expertise spans regulatory risk, remediation, scams, claims, and complaints. He has advised prominent banks and payment providers in Australia and New Zealand on their strategies, policies, processes, and systems to combat scams and comply with regulatory obligations. He will lead ARA's Scams & Fraud practice, after serving as a partner at Deloitte for 10 years and establishing its Scams Risk Advisory practice.
Mark Kuzma
Mark is a skilled consultant with over 25 years of experience across public, listed, and private entities. He advises clients on planning and implementing major business transformations and integrating capabilities to deliver complex transformations. Mark has led transformations for large organisations and managed risks for critical IT government infrastructure projects. He will lead ARA's new Transformation Risk offering. Mark has moved to Ashurst from Deloitte, where he was a partner for 12 years.
Jamie Ng, Co-head of Ashurst Advance & Consulting, said:
"We are delighted to welcome Rob, Jonathan and Mark to our growing Risk Advisory team. Their appointments, along with additional ARA partner hires in the pipeline, demonstrate Ashurst's ability to attract top talent from the market and reflect strong client demand for integrated legal, NewLaw and risk advice. All three partners are highly respected risk professionals with proven track records for delivering innovative and integrated solutions to complex challenges. Their expertise will be sought after by Australian businesses that face rapidly changing legal and regulatory environments and need help to operationalise those requirements."
Philip Hardy, Head of Ashurst Risk Advisory, Australia, added:
"The expansion of Ashurst Risk Advisory with these strategic hires and the introduction of our Transformation Risk offering mark a significant milestone in our growth journey. In the last financial year, Ashurst's Risk Advisory business was one of the firm's fastest-growing practices, delivering outstanding growth of 47% last financial year and demonstrating the increasing demand for integrated solutions from clients navigating complex global regulatory and commercial challenges. This recent development not only boosts our capabilities but also reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional service and results."
