Jim commenced working with Hunt & Hunt as a solicitor in 1977 and has been a partner of our firm since 1983. He has fulfilled a number of management roles within the firm, including former National Managing Partner and National Chairman of the Hunt & Hunt Legal Group. He is currently the Managing Partner of our Newcastle office, where he is responsible for the management and strategic direction of the office. Jim is also the Head of the Corporate Litigation Group in our Sydney office and the Chief Legal Representative of our Shanghai office. Jim has over 30 years experience practising in the area of Commercial law. He provides advice to Australian and overseas clients on legal, strategic, commercial, governance and reputation issues. He has extensive experience representing the interests of Australian and international companies in their business activities, including negotiating joint ventures and resolving disputes through mediation, litigation and arbitration. In his role as a Director and former Chairman of Interlaw (an association of international law firms) Jim has considerable knowledge on a range of international legal issues and a wide network of contacts enabling him to assist clients in over 115 major cities around the world. Jim has extensive experience in China, having represented Chinese and foreign clients since 1988. He is one of seven Australians appointed to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) panel of arbitrators, in addition to being the only Australian appointed to the Shanghai Arbitration Commission. He is also a member of the Law Council of Australia China Expert Panel and the current President of the Australia China Business Council (ACBC) in New South Wales. Jim has been involved in numerous seminar programs relating to China, including one with the (Chinese) Research Institute for International Economic Cooperation in 1992, businesses in Western China in 2000 and AusAID seminar. He has also assisted in Austrade programs in Beijing and China. Jim has been a Director and is currently Chairman of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency the Commonwealth body responsible for regulating nursing homes throughout Australia in the period where the Agency successfully completed two cycles of mandatory accreditation for Aged Care facilities throughout Australia. He has continued his links with the University of New South Wales as a member of the UNSW Foundation, and was a member of the Vice Chancellor’s Scientia Fund Raising Committee. In June 2006, Jim was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to international relations, particularly the development of legal and business links with China. |