27 October 2008
Key Points:
On 2 September we held a special reception to celebrate an important milestone in the firm's history – 175 years of legal service to the community.
Held at the Sydney Opera House, the reception was attended by over three hundred distinguished guests including former and current members of the judiciary and Federal and State parliament, a number of the firm's clients, and past and present Clayton Utz partners and staff.
Former Perth managing partner and current Federal Shadow Treasurer Julie Bishop was the guest speaker on the evening and delivered an engaging and entertaining speech, while the Sydney Youth Orchestra provided a wonderful musical backdrop to the evening. Click here to see photos of the event.
We have certainly undergone a great deal of change since 1833, when the foundations of the firm that would become Clayton Utz were laid. From a one-man practice in colonial Sydney Clayton Utz is now one of Australia's largest law firms, employing over 2,000 people.
Our founding father, George Robert Nichols, was the first Australian-born solicitor in New South Wales and a man respected for his "disciplined legal astuteness, which subsequently placed him far before any of his professional competitors". Like Nichols, we have a passion for the law and for giving back to the community in which we live, which we do through our extensive Community Connect program.
We'd like to extend our thanks to you for your contribution to making Clayton Utz the firm it is today.
If you'd like to learn more about the Clayton Utz story and people, you can download our firm history here.
