Minter Ellison has poached three partners, who will join the firm's offices in Darwin, Melbourne and Hong Kong.

"We've responded to client needs and also to the partnership's confidence that 2008 will be a good year for the firm," said chief executive Guy Templeton in a reaction to the appointments. "The partnership is optimistic about the coming year. We're aiming to repeat our record-breaking 2006/07 performance and there are likely to be more appointments going forward."

Lyn Bennett joins the firm's Darwin office as head of the commercial department. She comes from Hunt & Hunt, where she was a partner. Bennett focuses on property development, finance & securities, leasing, companies & trusts, and sale and purchase of real estate and businesses.

Project finance specialist Peter Block has been appointed to the Melbourne office. He comes from Freehills and had a stint with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London for five years before returning to Australia in early 2006.

He led a number of large transactions in the transport, communications and energy sectors, including Skynet 5 (the UK's secure military communications project), the redevelopment of the Cyprus airports for the mandated lead arrangers, and the procurement of several roads in the Irish toll roads program for the Irish government. Block also practised in Vietnam for five years.

Matthew Hibbins is leaving Australian shores to join the firm's Greater China corporate & commercial practice in Hong Kong. He comes from Gadens in Melbourne and specialises in private equity transactions, joint ventures, capital raisings, M&A and corporations and securities laws.

The firm has also promoted corporate lawyers Christopher Brown and Victoria Mathewson in Sydney to the partnership.