Jim Holding

Jim Holding is the Chief Executive Officer and Partner at Salerno Law, bringing over 30 years of extensive experience in the legal sector and digital asset industries. Throughout his career, Jim has demonstrated exceptional leadership capabilities, having held senior roles including Country Managing Partner for DLA Piper in Australia and Head of their Brisbane M&A practice. His expertise in managing and expanding large, high-performing teams across diverse jurisdictions is a hallmark of his professional profile. Jim's leadership extends beyond the legal field, with notable positions such as Chairman of Queensland Cricket and the Brisbane Heat, where he successfully enhanced both financial performance and organisational effectiveness. His strategic acumen was further evidenced during his tenure as Chief Strategy Officer at TOKO FZE in Dubai. There, he played a pivotal role in the company’s expansion, particularly in the tokenisation of real-world assets and securing regulatory approvals from the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA). His international experience covers major legal and business centres including Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Middle East. Jim also managed DLA Piper’s innovation businesses, overseeing diverse enterprises from litigation funding and consultancy to AI legal technology and digital asset ventures. At Salerno Law, Jim is focused on driving growth in areas such as digital assets, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and corporate and commercial law. His forward-looking approach is centred on the evolving nature of tokenisation and decentralised finance, positioning the firm at the forefront of these emerging sectors. Clients benefit from his comprehensive knowledge across capital markets, commodity trading, finance, and international trade and investment, supported by his proven ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes.