Ironbridge Legal

Ironbridge Legal, a Sydney based elite law firm, recognised as a leader in both disputes and insolvency in Australia, has remarkably strengthened its practice with the appointment of Chief Operations Officer, Julianne Clark, and Partner, Blake Shaw, bringing strategic expertise and momentum to the firm's growth trajectory. Ms Clark joins Ironbridge Legal with over 25 years of experience in law firm administration, operational management and strategy execution. Ms Clark has previously been executive assistant, for eight years, to a former Managing Partner of global law firm, Eversheds, and was more recently Senior Manager, Operations and Administration, Australia for the US equities-backed financing firm, Equities First. Ironbridge Legal headhunted Ms Clark as a strategic hire, with a view to assisting the firm with its plan to become Australia’s first-choice, go-to firm for complex, bet-the-farm disputes and insolvency related matters - serving domestic and global clients. With this goal, the firm is embarking on a significant growth plan which will see a number of key strategic hires over the next four years. Jules said: “I am excited to begin my role as Chief Operating Officer at Ironbridge Legal. I will commit to improving the company's operational effectiveness and making sure that strategic plans are carried out to improve the services we provide. This will aid our ambitious growth plans as well as contribute to improving upon ‘excellence’ in the firm. My history of assisting managing partners in highly-successful global firms such as BCG and Eversheds, as well as being in boardrooms, has equipped me with insights to take Ironbridge Legal from great to even greater. Joining such a vibrant and driven team truly excites me, and I look forward to playing my part in enabling our clients to achieve outstanding outcomes, with the work I contribute to behind the scenes.” As part of Ironbridge Legal’s strategic growth plans, with the assistance of executive search firm, Pacifc Talent Partners, it assessed around 160 insolvency lawyers in the Sydney market. The criteria included proven intellectual and commercial prowess, a highly portable and profitable practice, and cultural ft. The firm’s high approval rating, demonstrated by deep independent research, together with the reputation of its founder, Trevor Withane, winner of Lawyers Weekly Insolvency and Restructuring Partner of the Year, saw partners from global, national and boutique firms aim for prize. Mr Shaw, who grew up at Kemp Strang, rising to the ranks of partner at the law firm, Bridges, saw off the competition. Mr Shaw brings in 20 years of commendable experience in restructuring and insolvency matters, especially with matters having a contentious edge. Blake said: “I am truly delighted to be joining Ironbridge Legal as a Partner. Ironbridge has earned a strong reputation for building lasting client relationships, and I am excited to contribute to that legacy, particularly within the insolvency and restructuring space. I am looking forward to working closely with the talented team at Ironbridge and building on the firm’s reputation by delivering consistently outstanding outcomes for our clients.” Ironbridge Legal was founded in 2019 by globally-renowned lawyer, Trevor Withane, with the vision of building an elite specialist disputes and insolvency only law firm. In just 6 years, Ironbridge Legal has expanded from a small, highly focused team to a multi-office, award-winning practice that has been recognised in the The Legal 500, Doyles, Lawyers Weekly awards and other leading directories, while maintaining its high-powered elite boutique DNA. The firm is regularly instructed to advise on high-stakes matters, and has clients on its roster such as PwC liquidators, Sydney Fish Market, Bosch, Evoke (William Hill), Gaw Capital, and a wholly-owned German government subsidiary. Trevor said that this growth in the team meets rising client demand for our services and reinforces the firm’s assurance to delivering top-tier expertise. The firm is committed to growing in a way that enables it to take the most proactive approach to clients matters and provide real-time advice. Trevor said: “This expansion, driven by the growing demand for superior legal representation, is a positive move for the entire ecosystem, especially for both current and future clients. As a firm known globally for elite performance and speciality in high-stakes disputes and insolvency matters, it signals a stronger commitment to meeting complex challenges with precision, agility and depth. This step makes sure that the firm can keep elevating its levels of service while also becoming ready to meet the changing needs of a market that is increasingly sophisticated.” Trevor’s vision for Ironbridge Legal is to raise the standards in legal representation, and the way law firms defend clients’ priorities. “Our vision is to set new benchmarks for legal representation. We believe clients deserve more than just technical expertise - that is a given at Ironbridge Legal. Clients deserve proactive, strategic and unwavering advocacy. At Ironbridge Legal we ensure that excellence, integrity and innovation remains the foundation of our work, with every matter approached with the highest level of dedication and focus. We seek to reshape expectations of what modern law firms can deliver and the way they protect their clients’ interests.” Trevor’s vision aligns with how the Ironbridge Legal is viewed in the legal market. It is a well-known and rapidly expanding boutique practice that is changing the Australian legal landscape for disputes and insolvency work. Its trophy case of accolades and inclusion in top-tier industry rankings demonstrate that a focused organisation can achieve exceptional status. Peers and clients agree that Ironbridge Legal provides a unique blend of boutique attention and big-firm expertise, producing results that are on par with, and often exceed, the best in the industry. Elliot Long, Managing Partner of Pacific Talent Partners, said that Ironbridge Legal exemplifies the new wave of agile firms delivering top-tier outcomes while drawing leading senior talent. Elliot said: “Our recent support of Ironbridge Legal has revealed that the firm is perfectly placed to take advantage of a growing trend. Clients of law firms are increasingly seeking challenger firms that are more nimble and adaptable. The days of the hands-off Partner are over; clients want top-tier matter delivery combined with direct access to the most senior people in the firm. This is why top talent such as Blake and Julianne can see their future with Ironbridge Legal.” About Ironbridge Legal: Ironbridge Legal is a Sydney and Melbourne-based boutique law firm that focuses on disputes and insolvency matters. Working with clients and referral partners in several jurisdictions, the firm maintains a global presence. The award-winning firm, ranked also in Doyles and The Legal 500, is known for its agility, depth of knowledge, and ability to provide high-impact solutions for complicated disputes, asset tracing, restructuring, and insolvency matters. Trevor Withane, a nationally and globally recognised award-winning partner, leads the firm. For the second consecutive year, Trevor was named Lawyers Weekly's Restructuring and Insolvency Partner of the Year (2025). Ironbridge Legal has also won numerous industry accolades, including the Australasian Law Awards (2022) for Boutique Law Firm of the Year. In some of the most important cases in the nation, Ironbridge Legal has represented directors, corporations, fnanciers, high-net-worth individuals, and insolvency professionals. With a global perspective and a solid track record, the firm keeps establishing itself as a standard for contemporary boutique practice by fusing specialised knowledge with profitable, client-focused results.

Sydney, 15 January 2026 - Ironbridge Legal has been ranked by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026 in both of its boutique firm’s core practice areas, earning recognition in both Dispute Resolution: Litigation and Restructuring & Insolvency. It is the fifth consecutive year the firm has been recognised across both of its core practices. This dual honour caps a year of extraordinary expansion for the Sydney-based firm, which achieved a 157% increase in headcount in 2025 (growing from 7 to 18 team members). Boutique Practice Excels in Litigation and Insolvency Rankings In the 2026 edition of The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Ironbridge Legal’s performance in its two focus areas earned strong editorial commentary. In Dispute Resolution: Litigation, The Legal 500 notes that Ironbridge Legal handles high-value insolvency disputes and has ‘made a large impact on the insolvency litigation landscape over the last five years’. The team is also equipped to handle a broad range of contractual disputes. Founding partner Trevor Withane leads the Sydney-based team. In Restructuring & Insolvency, The Legal 500 notes that clients turn to Ironbridge Legal for support in contentious restructuring and insolvency matters, particularly where regulatory investigations and debt disputes are involved. The team advises on ASIC and ATO inquiries as well as the full range of formal insolvency procedures. Trevor Withane leads the practice, supported by partner Blake Shaw and senior associate Patrick Gallego, who works across restructuring issues and litigation. This recognition across both categories underscores the firm’s strength in its chosen specialisms. Client feedback and testimonials The following testimonials were collated independently by The Legal 500 research team: “Led by founder, Trevor Withane, Ironbridge Legal has made a large impact on the insolvency litigation landscape over the last five years. Ironbridge bring a high level of legal technical ability to the insolvency litigation space and are very attuned to the needs of the client in delivering legal services. The firm is exceptional in its diversity of employees and has high levels of staff engagement and public recognition.” “Trevor Withane, the founding partner is extremely knowledgeable in the area of insolvency and dispute resolution and has developed an impressive network of international clients and referral partners based on his connections in Asia and in the UK. Trevor commands high levels of knowledge about the matters he is involved in and is very engaged in the day-to-day practice. He has built a strong reputation and an international panelist and speaker on issues such as cross border asset tracing and regularly publishes in industry journals.” “What makes Ironbridge Legal unique is the subject matter expertise they have. They are the place to go for "most complex" litigation cases.” “Subject matter expertise and manners.” Strategic Growth Fuelling Success The firm’s 157% growth in 2025 reflects strategic expansion to meet client demand while maintaining its focus as a conflict-free specialist in high-stakes disputes and insolvency matters. This growth aligns with the firms’s stated vision: ‘to be the first-choice, go-to, conflict-free law firm for complex, big-ticket disputes and insolvency work in Australia’. Ironbridge Legal welcomed several high-calibre hires over the past year, notably Blake Shaw, who joined as Partner to strengthen and help lead the Restructuring & Insolvency practice alongside Trevor Withane. Under Mr Withane’s leadership, the team’s expansion from 7 to 18 professionals has amplified its capacity to handle complex cases without sacrificing the agility and focus that define its boutique model. Continued Momentum Ironbridge Legal’s inclusion in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026 is a milestone that validates the firm’s focused strategy and momentum across both of its core practice areas. With an expanded team, strengthened leadership in restructuring and insolvency, and continued recognition in disputes, the firm enters 2026 with reinforced determination to keep delivering for clients on the matters that matter most.