U.K.-listed law firm DWF has acquired a local Australian firm as it continues to expand internationally.

McDonald Johnson Lawyers, a full-service law firm based in the Hunter region north of Sydney in the port city of Newcastle, consists of 16 people, including eight lawyers. It specialises in insurance, real estate, commercial, civil litigation and corporate law.

Craig Doyle and Brian Blakemore, who led McDonald Johnson, will join DWF as senior consultants.

DWF has offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Newcastle and with the addition of this new team, will expand its Australian business headcount to more than 180, according to the firm.

The deal is the latest expansion push by DWF this year.

Since the firm floated in March, it has made several acquisitions. It has already grown in Australia this year: in June, merging with a Melbourne law firm; and in March, merging with a 23-lawyer boutique, also based in Melbourne. It also has recruited several lawyers since January in Australia, Germany and elsewhere in Europe. In addition, it bolted on the Warsaw office of K&L Gates and agreed to an exclusive association with a 40-partner Spanish law firm.

On Monday, the firm announced it expects to grow its revenue for the first half of the current financial year by at least 10%. The statement added that the firm grew its international business by about 29% in the six months ending October 31.