Herbert Smith Freehills banking litigation partner and U.K. class actions head Harry Edwards is moving to the firm's Melbourne office, in order to boost the firm's Australian class-action profile and shore up his own experience.

He will move in January 2020 for an initial three-year period amid a busy time for such work in the country. The position of U.K. class actions head has now been taken up by partner Alan Watts.

"Our class action practice in Australia is experiencing something of a boom, given the activities of funders and claimant firms in that market. It's bringing wave after wave of securities actions," Edwards said.