Australian law firm MinterEllison, which has been expanding its client offerings to include multidisciplinary advisory services, has acquired an information technology consulting firm in Sydney.

ITNewcom advises corporate and government clients on technology strategies, IT outsourcing, cost benefit analysis and risk management. According to its website, ITNewcom's clients include miner BHP Billiton Ltd., the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., and federal and state government agencies across the nation.

Andrew Cunningham, leader of the firm's consulting solution practice, said that ITNewcom aligns with the firm's strategic vision. "Joining ITNewcom's complementary expertise with our existing ... technology practice will allow us to deliver seamless integrated consulting and legal solutions to clients seeking sophisticated technology outcomes," he said.

Founded in 1997, ITNewcom is led by chief executive Brendan Welsh. Firm leadership also include partners Debbie McLaughlin, Stephen Craike and Simon Lewis in Australia, and Kim Gordon in New Zealand.

ITNewcom will be part of a newly launched technology consulting practice at MinterEllison that is also run by partners Anthony Lloyd in Sydney, Paul Kallenbach in Melbourne, and Amanda Story in Canberra.

MinterEllison has made a series of efforts to expand into advisory practices beyond law, especially under the leadership of chief executive Tony Harrington, a former PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia chief, who joined the firm in 2014.

Last year, MinterEllison also branched into executive remuneration consulting by hiring a four-consultant team from London-based advisory firm Willis Towers Watson. In March, the firm's New Zealand affiliated firm, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, launched a joint venture with Auckland-based technology investment firm Goat Ventures to develop an artificial intelligence system for document review.

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