澳大利亚驻华大使芮捷锐将于本月离职，并加盟澳洲Corrs Chambers Westgarth （Corrs） 律所，担任该所中国业务的联合主席。据了解，芮捷锐将继续留驻北京，与另一位负责中国业务的主席Adam Handley共同管理和发展Corrs律所的在华业务。
芮捷锐自2007年5月担任中华人民共和国大使以来，一直致力于发展中澳两国的友好往来。他曾走遍中国所有省份与直辖市，促成多项中澳合作项目，比如澳新银行落户高新区、全球自控控制技术先驱MOX集团与成都的合作等。由于在国际贸易、尤其是促进农产品贸易自由化方面的卓越成就，芮捷锐曾荣获智利贝尔纳多•奥希金斯勋章。
在来华之前，芮捷锐是澳大利亚外交贸易部副部长。另外，他还曾在外交贸易部担任过其他要职，包括国际组织和法律司司长及常驻世界贸易组织代表和大使等。芮捷锐拥有拉筹伯大学的经济学博士学位。
Corrs合伙人及CEOJohn Denton认为，芮捷锐对中国及中国政府的了解，将极大的帮助律所及其客户发展在华事务。目前Corrs在中国还未设有代表处。
Geoff Raby, Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China will step down from his role and join Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth (Corrs) as an adviser and Co-Chair of the firm’s China practice. Raby, who will be based in Beijing, will work closely with fellow China practice co-chair, Adam Handley, who operates out of the firm’s Perth office. Raby will take-up his new role in late August.
Raby served as Australia’s ambassador to the PRC from 2007 - 2011, and worked on many China-Australian cooperation projects such as the launch of ANZ Bank's Chengdu office and the cooperation between Australian MOX Group and the Government of Chengdu. Prior to this, Raby was Deputy Secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2002 to 2006.
Corrs chief executive officer, John Denton, said Raby’s deep knowledge, understanding and contacts within the Chinese government will prove invaluable in helping the firm’s Australian clients position themselves in the Chinese market.
Although Corrs has not yet established a physical presence in Australia, the appointment of Raby may be the first step towards a representative office in the country. Commenting on the likelihood of the firm opening an office in China, Denton remarked “our strategy in China and elsewhere in the region is not based on bricks and mortar but on deep relationships at peak levels in critical jurisdictions". Allens Arthur Robinson, Blake Dawson, Mallesons Stephen Jaques and Minter Ellison all have offices in Hong Kong and mainland China.
According to our sister publication, Australian Legal Business’s ALB 30, Corrs is the ninth- largest law firm in Australia with 127 partners and 421 lawyers.ALB
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