Pinsent Masons' Vario service to expand overseas

International law firm Pinsent Masons is to expand its legal resourcing hub, Vario, by offering it in Australia later this year.

Launched in 2012, Vario provides freelance legal support to Pinsent Masons' clients. The firm now has a pool of 300 professionals to call on, and revenue from the service grew by more than 40% in Pinsents' 2015-16 financial year.

Australia will be Vario's first operational base outside the UK in what is planned as a programme of targeted international expansion.

Vario has begun an executive search for a senior leadership team to lead the launch and development of its business in Australia.

Pinsent Masons established a presence in Australia two years ago and now has eight partners and 20 lawyers based there.

Matt Kay, Director of Vario, commented: “Pinsent Masons was in the vanguard of firms to launch this type of flexible resourcing service and we believe we have established a market-leading position in the UK as a result of our platform, client base and the access to talent those two features unlock. We are now embarking on an ambitious plan to scale internationally and bring the best of the flexible model to a number of international hubs. We are actively recruiting in Australia and are keen to hear from senior practitioners with experience of recruitment to help us establish and grow our business.”