UK-listed top 50 law firm DWF has expanded its Melbourne office by appointing a trio of technology lawyers to bolster the firm’s IT&T practice.

Alex Ninis, Marcus Hannah and Serpil Bilgic all join from Australian firm MacPherson Kelley, the latest in a series of new hires in Melbourne following the office’s opening last year.

Jamie McPherson, DWF's Australian managing director, said: “DWF’s ability to attract specialist teams is testament to the appeal of our distinctive brand proposition in the competitive Australian market. We welcome Alex, Marcus and Serpil and look forward to their success in growing DWF’s IT, privacy, data security, telco and IP practice.”

Ninis, who joins as a principal lawyer, brings with him more than 30 years of legal experience, having previously worked as general counsel at PeopleSoft before moving into private practice as a partner at Truman Hoyle and a director at Blue Rock Law, which was acquired by MacPherson Kelley in 2014.

Ninis spent five years at MacPherson acting for domestic and global information technology suppliers and buyers of IT and telecoms products and services across the Asia Pacific region.

Hannah joins as a senior associate after six years at MacPherson Kelley, and specialises in IT law, advising companies on privacy, data security, e-signature legality and intellectual property licensing. 

Bilgic joins as a commercial and IT solicitor after two years at MacPherson Kelley.

Last month DWF’s Melbourne office hired principal lawyers Richard Skopal and Andrea Towson to strengthen its real estate team.

Skopal joined from Holding Redlich, where he was a partner focusing on commercial property transactions and development projects. Towson joined from Arnold Bloch Liebler, where she was a special counsel specialising in planning and developing.

In January, DWF acquired Chicago-based managed services business Mindcrest for $18.5m in cash and shares and in December it snapped up Spanish law firm RCD for for €50m.

Last month Clyde & Co snapped up three insurance partners from Norton Rose Fulbright in Melbourne, the latest of a string of hires from its international rival.