Sparke Helmore has appointed former staff member Paul Tobin as a partner in the firm’s Newcastle office. 

Tobin, who most recently held a senior in-house role at Pacific National’s coal division, has more than 12 years’ experience in construction law, specialising particularly in project delivery and resolving claims and disputes. He previously worked at Sparke Helmore in 2009-2010 and before that in the construction group at Clayton Utz. Tobin was based for five years in Taiwan during his time at Clayton Utz, where he acted for the owner and operator of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Project—one of the largest privately financed infrastructure projects ever undertaken.

“I’m delighted to be returning to Sparke Helmore as a partner and look forward to working with the team again,” said Tobin. 

According to Tony Deegan, the firm’s commercial practice group, Tobin’s appointment reflects the demand for construction and infrastructure expertise in the Hunter region.