Norton Rose Fulbright announces Alison Deitz will be its next managing partner in Australia

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced today that Alison Deitz will be the new managing partner in Australia, effective July 1, 2020. Alison will be the firm’s first female managing partner in Australia and succeed Wayne Spanner, who has served in this leadership role since 2012. She will also sit on the firm’s global executive committee.

A partner since 1998, Alison leads Australia’s business law practice group, encompassing the banking and finance, corporate M&A, real estate, financial restructuring and insolvency, financial services, tax and technology teams.

Alison’s personal legal practice focused on banking regulatory compliance, including anti money laundering and consumer credit compliance, acting for major international and domestic financial institutions. She also has experience in liaising with regulators and conducting regulatory enforcement litigation.

Peter Martyr, Norton Rose Fulbright’s global chief executive, commented:

“Alison is committed to serving our clients and developing our people. This makes her an excellent fit to lead our growth and success in Australia, building on Wayne’s many accomplishments as Australia’s managing partner.”

A handover period will now occur with outgoing managing partner Wayne Spanner, as part of a planned transition of the leadership of the Australian business. 

Alison Deitz commented:

“I am honoured to be appointed to the role of managing partner in Australia. I am excited about leading our firm into its next phase of development as we strengthen and expand the services we provide to our valued clients. I am passionate about creating opportunities for our people to work with these clients and to solve their most challenging and complex business problems. We have so much talent here in Australia and throughout our global firm. I am determined to nurture this and deploy it in an agile way for our clients’ benefit.

“On behalf of our Australian partners and staff I want to thank Wayne for the huge contribution he has made to the firm as managing partner in Australia. Under his transformational leadership, the firm has developed its reputation as a leading international player, developed high quality practice areas and undertaken a major law firm merger that has created a powerful platform for future success.”

Over the course of his three terms as managing partner in Australia, Wayne has been instrumental in transforming the firm’s capability, footprint and reputation. He has served as a member of the firm’s global executive committee, and been closely involved in a series of local and international mergers. In Australia, he has overseen significant growth in key areas of focus, including government, financial institutions, risk advisory, energy and resources, and infrastructure.

Wayne Spanner commented:

“It has been a privilege to serve as Australia’s managing partner. Together, we have experienced significant transformation and growth, including the continued expansion of our global platform, implementation of our 2020 strategy, enhancement of practice areas and client service, and ongoing attraction of top talent at all levels. I look forward to working with Alison as she prepares to take over the managing partner role.”

Alex Boxsell, Head of Digital Content & Campaigns, Norton Rose Fulbright in Australia
Tel: +61 (0)2 9330 8165 Mob: +61 (0)414 985 556
alex.boxsell@nortonrosefulbright.com