K&L Gates finalises Australian tie-up

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

K&L Gates finalises Australian tie-up

K&L Gates has become the latest law firm to seal a deal with an Australian firm

The US firm is to merge with Middletons on January 1. The addition of Middletons’ 300 lawyers and four Australian offices will give the combined firm more than 2,000 lawyers in 46 offices.

K&L Gates says that part of the attraction of the deal was the rapid growth in investment in Australia from businesses in the region. Much of Australia’s inbound investment hails from Greater China, where K&L Gates has offices in Hong Kong and China.

US investors are also active in Australia, where their direct investment has topped $500 billion since 2005. The US firm said that the merger would allow the new firm to “brand itself as the legal solution for both inbound and outbound legal requirements involving Australia and the US”.

K&L Gates ranked in tier 3 for trade mark prosecution work by north-east US firms in this year’s Managing IP survey. Middletons ranked in tier 3 for both trade mark prosecution and contentious work in Australia and in tier 2 for copyright.

In recent years Australian-bound planes have carried plenty of foreign lawyers in search of a law firm tie-up, eager to service clients in a strong economy that has been largely unscathed by the global financial crisis.

Deals have included tie-ups between Herbert Smith and Freehills; Ashurst and Blake Dawson; China’s King & Wood and Mallesons; Norton Rose and Deacons; and Linklaters and Allens Arthur Robinson.





more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Paul Hastings and Smart & Biggar also won multiple awards, while Baker McKenzie picked up a significant prize
Burford Capital study finds that in-house lawyers have become more likely to monetise patents, but that their IP portfolios are still underutilised
Robert Reading and Faidon Zisis at Clarivate unpick some of the data surrounding music-related trademarks
China's latest IP litigation statistics and a high-profile hire by O'Melveny were also among the top talking points this week
David Aylen, who spent more than 20 years at Gowling WLG, has joined United Trademark and Patent Services as of counsel in the UAE
Europe is among the most lucrative legal markets for PE firms to bet on, but clients’ reactions will decide whether external investment drives success
Rulings of note covered pre-June 2023 infringements and jurisdiction over non-UPC states, while winners of Managing IP’s EMEA Awards acted in multiple cases
Jason Blair, a former special marks examiner, said Dykema’s Texas presence will help him build deeper connections with clients
Lee Curtis and Rachel Platts at HGF discuss the rise of the ‘intention economy’ and its impact on trademark law
Martin Wintermeier discusses taking a hit for clients, not letting stress get to you, and why being a criminal defence lawyer might have been fun
Gift this article