Big Four accounting firm KPMG's legal arm has hired Paula Gilardoni as a competition partner in Sydney from leading Australian firm Gilbert + Tobin.

Gilardoni focuses on competition law matters, including merger clearances and investigations in the banking, insurance, wealth management, payments, health, manufacturing and petroleum industries. She also advises on financial services regulatory matters, including licensing, disclosure, anti-money laundering, privacy and consumer protection issues.

Since 2017, she has been advising Australian wealth manager IOOF Holdings Ltd. on the regulatory matters in a $765 million acquisition of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.'s pensions and investments business. The deal's closing is currently delayed because of a 14-month public inquiry into Australia's financial services industry for unethical practices that ended in February and faces regulatory hurdles from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the country's regulator for financial services.

Gilardoni leaves Gilbert + Tobin after 16 years with the firm. She joined in 2003 after three years at legacy Mallesons Stephen Jaques and made partner in 2012.

"Paula's appointment reflects our continued growth of top-tier capability in KPMG Law," Stuart Fuller, KPMG's Sydney-based Asia-Pacific legal services leader, said in a statement, adding that Gilardoni will strengthen the auditor's regulatory response team as well as its offerings in the data, digital and technology sectors.

In addition to advising clients on competition law, Gilardoni is also involved in developing legal technology – a high priority for KPMG. Last year, she was part of the Gilbert + Tobin team that developed an interactive competition law tool for the firm's mobile app. KPMG led a $3.26 million Series-A investment in Australian legal automation company Plexus in May, with its legal arm forming a strategic alliance with the company.

Gilardoni is the latest in a string of partner hires for KPMG in Australia. In March, KPMG Law recruited former Herbert Smith Freehills technology partner Damien Bailey; and in December, hired former Norton Rose Fulbright partner and financial services risk advisory team leader Zein El Hassan, both in Sydney. KPMG Law also recently launched a national government practice in Canberra, led by Philip Jones-Hope, who joined KPMG Australia as a director last November from government body the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

KPMG Law has about 20 partners in Australia across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra.

In November, KPMG's U.K. legal services head Nick Roome told Legal Week that KPMG plans to double the size of its legal services arm to more than 3,000 lawyers globally in the next few years. It now has more than 2,300 lawyers.

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