Clayton Utz has moved quickly to fill the void that will be left when 14 partners – including the Perth office chief and a departmental managing partner – leave to join the firm’s newest Australian rival, Allen & Overy, in May.
Litigation specialist Paul Fitzpatrick has taken up the role of acting Perth partner in charge from the departing Geoff Simpson. He will go head-to-head competing for work with his three former colleagues when they set up A&O’s Perth office.
Graham Taylor has also been promoted to acting departmental managing partner, corporate – a role he takes over from Michael Reede.
Steven O’Reilly will become the banking & finance acting departmental managing partner, a role vacated by Grant Fuzi who left the firm in December. Fuzi is also joining A&O and it is believed he played a key role in the shock departure of the 14 Clayton Utz partners.
Allen & Overy co-head of banking & finance Andrew Trahair used to head up the practice area at Clayton Utz, managing a team that included Fuzi. Both Trahair and Fuzi left Clayton Utz to join A&O in 2001. While Trahair was making his ascent to the top of the Magic Circle firm’s banking & finance practice, Fuzi was stationed in Hong Kong where he worked in A&O’s Asian practice.
By 2005, Fuzi had repatriated to Australia and returned to the Clayton Utz partnership before leaving the firm at the end of last year to help launch A&O’s Australian office.
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