Rani John, an Ashurst partner in the Sydney office. Courtesy photo

International law firm Ashurst has strengthened its global disputes practice with the hire of Rani John as a new partner in the Sydney office.

John has more than 15 years' experience as a partner representing banking and large corporate clients across a range of regulatory investigations and proceedings, most recently as head of the Sydney disputes team at DLA Piper, and previously at Gilbert + Tobin for 11 years.

"Rani is a leading practitioner in the financial and regulatory investigations space, and her experience aligns with our strengths, strategy and desire for further growth in this area, as does Rani's strong personal reputation in the anti-bribery and corruption/investigations field," said Mark Elvy, head of dispute resolution, APAC, at the firm.

Lea Constantine, global head of strategic advisory, said the firm was "thrilled" to be welcoming John.

"She is an experienced and highly regarded practitioner, who will further strengthen our global disputes practice. Bringing Rani on board will ensure we are able to continue to provide the highest-quality commercial advice to our clients. Her experience and ability to work across practice areas and across regions will make her a strong asset in our global team," she said.

John said regulatory investigations and enforcement are a focus of her practice. "I was attracted to the firm by the collegiate culture of the disputes team, its bench strength, and the quality of Ashurst's transactional practices and relationships," she said.

DLA Piper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.