Clayton Utz

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Clayton Utz
Clayton Utz
Headquarters Sydney, Australia
No. of Offices 6
No. of Attorneys 700+
No. of Employees 2000+
Major Practice Areas General practice, especially Corporate,Litigation & Banking
Date Founded 1833
Founder George Robert Nichols
Company Type Partnership
Website ClaytonUtz.com


Clayton Utz is one of Australia's largest law firms, with over 2000 staff working across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Darwin.

Contents

[edit] Legal Services

Legal services the firm provides include workplace relations, employment & safety, corporate, banking & finance, private equity, intellectual property, information technology, competition, litigation & dispute resolution and property, planning & environment.

[edit] Community involvement

Together with the University of Sydney, Clayton Utz also sponsors the Annual International Arbitration Lecture[1], which is held each year in Sydney.

The firm has a significant pro bono practice, which over the last 10 years has provided 200,000 hours of free legal assistance to hundreds of individuals and organisations. In 2007, Clayton Utz became a Foundation Signatory to the National Pro Bono Resource Centre's Aspirational Pro Bono Target of 35 hours of pro bono work each year per lawyer. Clayton Utz is also active in the community through its Community Connect program. In 2007, the Clayton Utz Foundation made grants to over 38 charities and organisations [2].


[edit] Affiliations

The firm is a member of the international legal networks Lex Mundi[3] and Pacific Rim Advisory Council[4]. It is also active in the Inter-Pacific Bar Association [5].

[edit] Significant legal work

The firm is known for its work in several high-profile matters including Toll Holdings' takeover of Patrick Corporation[6], Mayne Group's de-merger[7], and Tattersall’s historic A$2.17 billion IPO and listing[8].

The firm is known for its historical involvement in the tobacco industry, notably the British American Tobacco vs McCabe[9] case. Clayton Utz was exonerated by the Victorian Court of Appeal from any wrongdoing concerning advice given by the firm to British American Tobacco in relation to document management[10].

A Private Investigator, admitted to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners program, that he had been hired to investigate a plaintiff suing one of Clayton Utz's tobacco industry clients[11]. This claim is however, strongly denied by Clayton Utz. In 1985 the firm signed Tobacco Institute of Australia as a new client, one of Australia's largest lobby groups.[12]

The firm has represented three tobacco companies in court, though has played a role in litigation of many other smoking-related court cases, especially those involving passive smoking.[13]

Clayton Utz closed its tobacco claims practice in July 2002[14], ending its association with the tobacco industry.


[edit] Awards

  • Top Tier ranked firm in the 2007 edition of the IFLR1000[15]

ALB Australasian Law Awards 2007 - Winner of awards for:

  • Commercial Property & Construction Deal of the Year[16]
  • Securitisation Deal of the Year [17]
  • Project Finance Deal of the Year[18]
  • M&A Deal of the Year[19]

[edit] External links


[edit] Sources

  1. ^ "Annual International Arbitration Lecture", University of Sydney. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. 
  2. ^ "Clayton Utz Community Connect Report", Clayton Utz. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. 
  3. ^ "Lex Mundi", Lex Mundi, 2007-03-18. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. 
  4. ^ "Pacific Rim Advisory Council member directory", Pacific Rim Advisory Council. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. 
  5. ^ "Clayton Utz media article", Clayton Utz. Retrieved on 2007-04-23. 
  6. ^ "Crash of the Titans", The Age, 13 May 2006. 
  7. ^ "ASX announcement and media release", ASX, 17 June 2005. 
  8. ^ "Float creates new millionaire factory", The Australian, 3 June 2005. 
  9. ^ Russell, Mark. "Justice closer for McCabe's family", The Age, 2007-03-18. Retrieved on 2007-03-29. 
  10. ^ "The Court of Appeal has exonerated Clayton Utz", Clayton Utz, 6 December 2002. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  11. ^ Fullerton, Ticky. "Beyond the Brief", ABC (Australia) - Four Corners. 
  12. ^ Fullerton, Ticky. "Beyond the Brief", ABC (Australia) - Four Corners. 
  13. ^ Fullerton, Ticky. "Beyond the Brief", ABC (Australia) - Four Corners. 
  14. ^ "Clayton Utz to close tobacco claims litigation practice", Clayton Utz, 18 July 2002. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  15. ^ "International Financial Law Review", IFLR. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  16. ^ "Australian Law Awards", ALBA. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  17. ^ "Australian Law Awards", ALBA. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  18. ^ "Australian Law Awards", ALBA. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  19. ^ "Australian Law Awards", ALBA. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.