- Chief Executive Partner: Darryl D McDonough
- Chief Operating Officer/International Services Partner: : Stuart Clark
- Office Partners in Charge: Kate Jordan (Sydney), Glen Bartlett (Melbourne), Alan Maguire (Brisbane), Paul Fitzpatrick (Perth), Mark Spain (Darwin), John Carroll (Canberra), Colin Dodd (Hong Kong)
- Number of partners: 202
- Number of lawyers: 713
- Languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lebanese, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil, Turkish, Vietnamese.
Firm Overview:
Clayton Utz is one of Australia’s most respected and successful independent legal practices. The firm has a diverse public and private sector client base and a reputation for a commercial and practical approach to the provision of legal services that its clients value in helping them to achieve their business objectives. The firm’s ability to bring together teams of lawyers with unique and diverse skills sees us regularly instructed on some of Australia’s largest and most complex deals and litigation. The firm’s strong relationships at all levels of Government also mean it is at the forefront of critical policy development and regulation.
Main Areas of Practice:
Banking & Finance:
25 partners; 80 lawyers
2010-11 deal highlights include:
• Advised Bain Capital Asia on the leveraged financing of its A$1.3 billion acquisition of MYOB. Key partner: Geoff Geha
• Acted for the financiers in the A$1.2 billion refinancing of the acquisition bridge facility taken out by Adani to acquire the Abbot Point Coal Terminal. Key partners: Angus Foley, Dan Fitts
• Advised on the US$8.5 billion multi-sourced financing of the Australia Pacific LNG project, Australia’s largest ever limited recourse project financing transaction. Key partner: Bruce Cooper
Key clients: National Australia Bank, ANZ, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Westpac, AMP
Key contact: Steve O’Reilly Tel: +61 3 9286 6968
Email: soreilly@claytonutz.com
Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions:
44 partners; over 130 lawyers
• Advising ASX listed Spotless Group Limited on its A$700 million+ acquisition by Pacific Equity Partners. Key partners: Rod Halstead and Karen Evans-Cullen
• Advising Centro Retail Limited and Centro Retail Trust in relation to the complex restructure of Centro Group - one of the most complex restructures ever undertaken in Australia. Key partners: Brendan Groves, Fred Prickett and Paul James
• Advising Extract Resources Limited on the A$2.2 billion takeover offer by Taurus Mineral Limited. Key partners: Mark Paganin and Matthew Johnson
Key clients: AMP Limited, Woolworths Limited, Macquarie Group
Key contact: Graham Taylor Tel: +61 2 9353 4169
Email: gtaylor@claytonutz.com
Construction & Major Projects:
25 partners; 108 lawyers
• Advising the New South Wales Government on the A$8.5 billion (approximate) North West Rail Link. Key partner: John Shirbin
• Australia’s largest social infrastructure PPP project, the A$1.85 billion New Royal Adelaide Hospital. Key partner: Jo Pugsley
• Advising on the development of the A$2.5b Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal. Key partners: Stephen Fall, David Lester
Key clients: Department of Transport (NSW), Fortescue Metals Group, Linking Melbourne Authority, Sino Iron
Key contact: Doug Jones Tel: +61 2 9353 4120
Email: djones@claytonutz.com
Energy & Natural Resources:
20 partners; 80 lawyers
• Advising ConocoPhillips, Origin Energy and Australia Pacific LNG Pty Limited (APLNG) on the A$35 billion project to liquefy coal seam gas for export markets (ongoing). Key partners: Graham Taylor and Andrew Smith
• Advising Noble Group Limited on the A$8 billion merger between Gloucester and Yancoal Australia Limited. Key partners: Rory Moriarty and Graham Taylor
• Advising Sundance Resources in connection to Hanlong Mineral’s proposed A$1.65 billion proposed acquisition of Sundance Resources. Key partners: Mark Paganin and Matthew Johnson
Key clients: Origin Energy Limited,Noble Group Limited, Vale Australia Pty Ltd
Key contacts: Graeme Dennis Tel: +61 2 9353 4106
Email: gdennis@claytonutz.com
Litigation & Dispute Resolution:
49 partners; 201 lawyers
• Defending CBA in a number of proceedings including those commenced by ASIC (recently settled) and the class action commenced for and on behalf of a group of margin loan customers in relation to the high-profile collapse of Storm Financial. Key partners: Colin Loveday, Greg Williams and Mark Waller
• Advising Centro Retail Limited and Centro Retail Trust in relation to the complex restructure of Centro Group - one of the most complex restructures ever undertaken in Australia. Key partners: Brendan Groves, Fred Prickett and Paul James
• Acting as a trusted advisor to Vale Australia in a series of disputes between Vale’s wholly-owned subsidiary Bowen Central Coal Pty Ltd and its joint venture partner Aquila Coal Pty Ltd; Key partners: Ian Bloemendal, Gareth Jenkins, Mark Sammut
Key clients: Commonwealth Bank of Australia,ANZ, National Australia Bank, various Australian State and Federal government departments and agencies, Vale, Centro
Key contact: Brigitte Markovic Tel: +61 2 9353 4131
Email: bmarkovic@claytonutz.com
Areas of PracticeCommercial
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
International Arbitration
Construction & Major Projects
Corporate/M&A
Energy & Resources
Banking & Finance
Competition
Information Technology/IP
Media & Telecommunications
Product Liability
Taxation
Capital Markets (Debt & Equity)
Private Equity
Restructuring & Insolvency