International law firm Ashurst has hired partner Scott Charaneka from an Australian firm to start a superannuation offering combing legal, regulatory and risk expertise to advise clients about Australia's A$3.3 trillion (US$2.4 trillion) pensions sector.

Charaneka, who joins from Thomson Geer, has almost three decades of experience in financial services and advises some of the largest industry and public sector superannuation funds in the country, Ashurst said. His experience covers establishment and licensing, governance, compliance and administration, disclosure, investments, mergers and regulatory investigations and disputes.