Sydney, 23 June 2009: Clayton Utz has been named Best Australian Law Firm of the Year at the 2009 International Legal Alliance (ILA) Summit and Awards held in Paris, France on 18 June.
Clayton Utz was one of nine Australian firms short-listed for the Award – known as the Gold Award – and one of 200 international independent law firms competing to be named best law firm in their respective countries. Clayton Utz was the joint recipient of the Gold Award for Australia.
The ILA Summit and Awards are held annually and bring together the best independent law firms from over 40 countries as well as general counsel and senior executives to network with their international colleagues.
Each year Gold Awards are presented to the best independent law firms of the year in various domestic markets based on a number of criteria including deal record, financial performance, general firm strategy, and management and leadership.
Seven jury panels comprising more than 80 general counsel and senior legal and financial executives judged the Gold Awards for each country.
Commenting on the firm's Gold Award, Chief Executive Partner David Fagan said: "While we do not set out to win awards, being named Best Australian Law Firm of the Year by an international panel is a pleasing acknowledgement of Clayton Utz as a leading law firm both in Australia and internationally. We appreciate the support of our clients in helping us to achieve this."
Clayton Utz has been involved in some of Australia's most prominent transactions over the past two years including advising Origin Energy on its successful defence of BG Group's A$13 billion hostile takeover bid, Symbion Health on the competing takeover proposals by Healthscope Limited and Primary Health Care Limited, Fortescue Metals on the acquisition of an interest in Fortescue by Hunan Valin Iron and Steel Group Company, and more recently, Asciano Group on its strategic and landmark capital raising.