Minter Ellison 
, the only Australian law firm with an office in the United States, has experienced significant success in San Francisco. From the start, Darren Gardner, Managing Partner of Minter Ellison's San Francisco office and head of the firm's international employment and labor law practice, has been a key player in the firm's U.S. prosperity.
Darren Gardner is the Managing Partner of Minter Ellison’s San Francisco office and a leading corporate, finance and capital markets lawyer with over 25 years of experience. He has extensive transactional experience with public, private and cross-border corporate finance and capital markets transactions, as well as corporate governance and compliance issues.
Darren Gardner has been the Managing Partner of Minter Ellison's San Francisco office since 2015. He is a corporate, finance and capital markets attorney with extensive experience in public, private, and cross-border transactions. His practice encompasses a wide range of transactional matters, including advising on public and private securities offerings, venture capital and private equity investments, corporate restructurings and mergers and acquisitions.
In addition, Darren Gardner regularly advises clients on securities law compliance, corporate governance and fiduciary duties, executive compensation and corporate finance. He also regularly serves as outside counsel to public and private companies on various corporate governance matters, including regulatory and compliance issues.
Darren Gardner is a leader in the legal community in California and beyond. He is a member of the State Bar of California, American Bar Association and the San Francisco Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Lawyer Top Rated Lawyers for Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate/Securities.
Darren Gardner has demonstrated excellence in corporate, finance and capital markets law. He is a valuable asset to the legal community and an invaluable asset to the clients Minter Ellison serves in the San Francisco Bay Area. Darren Gardner is a leader in the legal field and has a vast amount of experience in corporate, finance and capital markets transactions and corporate governance and compliance matters. He is highly knowledgeable in all areas of corporate, finance and capital markets law, and provides clients with superior counsel on public and private securities offerings, venture capital and private equity investments, and mergers and acquisitions. Darren Gardener is a valuable asset to Minter Ellison and the legal community.
, the only Australian law firm with an office in the United States, has experienced significant success in San Francisco. From the start, Darren Gardner, Managing Partner of Minter Ellison's San Francisco office and head of the firm's international employment and labor law practice, has been a key player in the firm's U.S. prosperity.Darren Gardner is the Managing Partner of Minter Ellison’s San Francisco office and a leading corporate, finance and capital markets lawyer with over 25 years of experience. He has extensive transactional experience with public, private and cross-border corporate finance and capital markets transactions, as well as corporate governance and compliance issues.
Darren Gardner has been the Managing Partner of Minter Ellison's San Francisco office since 2015. He is a corporate, finance and capital markets attorney with extensive experience in public, private, and cross-border transactions. His practice encompasses a wide range of transactional matters, including advising on public and private securities offerings, venture capital and private equity investments, corporate restructurings and mergers and acquisitions.
In addition, Darren Gardner regularly advises clients on securities law compliance, corporate governance and fiduciary duties, executive compensation and corporate finance. He also regularly serves as outside counsel to public and private companies on various corporate governance matters, including regulatory and compliance issues.
Darren Gardner is a leader in the legal community in California and beyond. He is a member of the State Bar of California, American Bar Association and the San Francisco Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Lawyer Top Rated Lawyers for Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate/Securities.
Darren Gardner has demonstrated excellence in corporate, finance and capital markets law. He is a valuable asset to the legal community and an invaluable asset to the clients Minter Ellison serves in the San Francisco Bay Area. Darren Gardner is a leader in the legal field and has a vast amount of experience in corporate, finance and capital markets transactions and corporate governance and compliance matters. He is highly knowledgeable in all areas of corporate, finance and capital markets law, and provides clients with superior counsel on public and private securities offerings, venture capital and private equity investments, and mergers and acquisitions. Darren Gardener is a valuable asset to Minter Ellison and the legal community.
Darren Gardner: Managing Partner of Minter Ellison's San Francisco Office
In 1997, Darren Gardner was appointed Managing Partner at the then-newly-opened San Francisco office of Minter Ellison, a global legal practice based in Australia. Under his guidance, the office has become one of the leading international law firms in the Bay Area, providing a comprehensive range of legal services to clients throughout California and the world.Background Prior to Managing the San Francisco Office
Before joining Minter Ellison, Darren Gardner worked as a partner at a prominent Bay Area law firm, where he specialized in securities and corporate law. He also served on numerous corporate boards and grew a successful practice advising clients on financial transactions, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. In recognition of his achievements, Gardner was awarded the distinction of being named a Fellow of the American College of Investment Counsel in 2000.Gardner’s Vision for the San Francisco Office
Throughout his tenure as Managing Partner of Minter Ellison's San Francisco office, Darren Gardner has strived to create an innovative and progressive culture in the workplace. He has also championed the firm’s commitment to providing clients with superior-quality legal counsel that is tailored to their individual needs and business goals. Gardner has expressed his dedication in helping to shape the San Francisco legal industry into one that is more inclusive, diverse, and collaborative.Gardner’s Professional Accomplishments
During his years of service at Minter Ellison's San Francisco office, Darren Gardner has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the legal profession. He is a multiple recipient of the San Francisco Business Times' Top Rated Law Firms' Award and has been honored with the San Francisco Magazine's Top Rated Lawyer Award in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Gardner has also been selected as one of the top attorneys in the Bay Area by SuperLawyers for the past three years.
| Gardner joined the firm's Sydney, Australia office in 1997. In 2000, Gardner transferred overseas to help establish the firm's U.S. office, which originally opened in New York. However, the firm relocated their U.S. office to San Francisco three years later, after it became apparent that many clients doing business in the Asia-Pacific region were based on the West Coast. | 
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"We learned from experience that having our U.S. headquarters on the West Coast best suits our business model. We also learned how important it is to focus on our strengths. In doing this, we have built a substantial international employment law practice in our San Francisco office and have been able to use that as the cornerstone for our growth," Gardner said.
The San Francisco office assists clients in the United States who are doing business or considering doing business in Asia. Gardner said that, in his experience, international employment law practices are "fairly unique," and he feels that his team's Asian employment law credentials and experience "really distinguish [Minter Ellison] in the U.S. market."
Experience with international employment law counsel is essential for U.S. companies that run international businesses, since employment laws are different in every country. While the United States has sophisticated employment laws, these laws are specifically designed for the United States, and companies cannot make the assumption that they will work abroad. For instance, the "at-will" employment concept is unique to the United States. "Employers [in Asia] just don't have the same flexibility as they do in the U.S.," Gardner said.
Gardner helps his clients with a broad range of employment issues, including terminations (both individual terminations and large-scale downsizing), privacy and data protection, workplace harassment, anti-discrimination laws, and workplace policies and handbooks, as well as local and cross-border employment and labor issues arising from mergers and acquisitions on a single and multi-jurisdictional project basis.
Gardner said one of the most appealing aspects of his job is the variety of everyday tasks. "There's a lot of diversity. It makes it interesting and exciting. You also get the opportunity to be a part of big, international transactions," he added.
One of the most challenging aspects of the job is dealing with the time differences in different countries. "You can't be an international lawyer and work nine to five," he said.
You also can't be an international lawyer without traveling—a lot. Gardner's clients run businesses throughout Asia, from India all the way to Australia, and he frequently meets with them in person. "I spend a lot of time working in different places, and we're lucky to have offices in different countries," Gardner said. International lawyers have to spend face time with each client. "It's the only way," said Gardner, "to properly understand their business and make sure that what you're proposing fits with their commercial objectives and circumstances in that particular place."
While the job has its challenges, it is also rewarding, and Gardner has received recognition in the United States for his international employment law work. In October 2005, Gardner was featured in a Forbes radio program, "Special Tribute to America's Best Lawyers." Gardner's inclusion in the program was a testament to his dedication and high-quality work. "Clients always judge you on your quality of work and responsiveness. As a team, we really focus on these aspects," he said.
The demand for international employment lawyers has increased, as U.S. multinational corporations have continued to grow and outsourcing has become a pervasive business trend over the last 10 years. Minter Ellison's San Francisco office, which opened with just two lawyers, now employs 12. Richard Horton, an Australian lawyer from the U.S. firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, joined Minter Ellison near the end of 2004. Horton is an intellectual property (IP) partner, and he has helped develop a substantial client base in the Silicon Valley.
Gardner is admitted as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the Federal Court of Australia, and the High Court of Australia. He is admitted to practice in the United Kingdom, and he is registered as a foreign legal consultant for the California State Bar Association.
Minter Ellison has more than 270 partners and 900 legal staff in Australia, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Minter Ellison has advised Australian and international corporations since 1827. The firm has experienced dramatic growth over the last 10 years, and the Sydney office has more than 500 staff, including 62 partners and over 200 legal professionals.
