Multilaw is pleased to announce that Paul Kirton, Legal Practice Director at Australian Commercial law firm Macpherson Kelley, has been appointed as Chair of Multilaw. Paul’s appointment starts an exciting chapter as Multilaw fulfils its mission to deliver seamless, high-quality legal services across jurisdictions by leveraging the local expertise of its member firms. Paul’s role as Chair will be to lead Multilaw’s board, influencing the effective governance and strategic direction of the member organisation.
Paul has been actively in Multilaw since 2014, serving previously as Chair of its Asia Pacific Region before being elevated to Chair-Elect in September 2024 at Multilaw’s Annual Global Conference in Boston, USA.
Paul’s appointment comes at a time when businesses and governments around the globe are grappling with rapidly changing technology and an uncertain trade environment. Paul practices as a Principal Lawyer and Legal Practice Director in the areas of Intellectual Property, Trade and Competition Law, making his skills, contacts and experiences uniquely relevant to the complexities faced by global markets.
Paul was born in West Africa, spent many of his educational years in North Africa and England, finishing University in Australia with Engineering and Law degrees. He is a global citizen, travelling frequently, and his client base is predominantly multi-nationals and Australian businesses with global operations.
Commenting on the role, Paul emphasised the importance of building international collaboration that’s embedded in local expertise. Trade and commerce, while currently facing challenges, is increasingly cross-border.
“I’m excited to commence my position as Chair of Multilaw. No network or law firm is better placed than Multilaw to deliver real, immediate value to clients with international projects and needs. Its members are local, full-service firms of exceptional quality, bringing legal expertise and local connections and knowledge to clients” said Paul Kirton.
“It is a close network, with strong and trusted relationships and a spirit of collaboration and knowledge sharing. The exceptional service our clients need and expect is guaranteed with Multilaw’s culture, ethic and mutual trust.”
Multilaw is a collaborative organisation, covering over 100 countries, whose members offer a unique service to companies navigating cross border legal matters and multi-jurisdictional projects. Multilaw’s CEO, Adam Cooke, says Paul’s embodiment of Multilaw’s mission and values will see him have a positive influence on the role.
“Paul has been a valued contributor to Multilaw for many years now, and we’ve benefited greatly from his legal experience and enthusiastic collaboration with both our membership and leadership team. As he steps into the role of Chair, there’s no doubt our organisation will continue to go from strength to strength,” said Adam Cooke.
Paul succeeds the dedicated term of Jorge Mondragón from Perez-Llorca Mexico. The Chair position at Multilaw has a tenure of two years.
For more information, please contact the Multilaw Global Office.
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