Australian national law firm MinterEllison has established an infrastructure consulting arm in response to increased government and corporate spending on major projects.

The firm has hired partner Kay Salvair Smith to lead MinterEllison Infrastructure Consulting, the firm's latest non-legal consulting offering, in addition to risk and regulatory, and information technology.

Previously a director and founder of Sydney-based infrastructure consultancy Fusion Advisory Pty. Ltd., Salvair Smith is not qualified as a lawyer but has spent her career advising government and private clients on commercial and technical matters of infrastructure projects.

MinterEllison said the infrastructure consulting will provide combined service offerings on matters throughout the infrastructure project lifecycle, including technical, commercial, financial, legal and transaction, and project management.

"Our clients have asked for integrated commercial, technical, financial and legal advice on complex infrastructure and development projects," said Virginia Briggs, MinterEllison's managing partner for the infrastructure, construction and property group, in a statement.

Salvair Smith said the firm is responding to a rising number of projects that need external support and integrated strategic services. "We have a number of infrastructure project engagements that we're excited to deliver, including in ports, roads, city planning, urban renewal, asset realisation and university campus renewal," she said.

Australia is undergoing an unprecedented infrastructure boom in recent years, as governments build new roads and railways in major metropolitan areas such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Earlier this year, the federal government alone announced a $70 billion commitment in infrastructure spending for roads and railways during the next decade, and state governments also made separate commitments.

Separately, MinterEllison has hired Donna Worthington as a partner in the risk and regulatory consulting team. Worthington also comes from a non-legal background, having worked in executive coaching and management consulting for nearly two decades.

With the additions of Salvair Smith and Worthington, MinterEllison said it has eight partners in the consulting arm.

In 2017, the firm acquired Sydney information technology consulting firm ITNewcom. It has also branched into executive remuneration consulting and taxation consulting. Partner Andrew Cunningham leads the firm's consulting solutions practice.

MinterEllison said it has 1,311 fee-earners, including 256 partners.

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