Clayton Utz a finalist for 2013 Fairfax CFO Corporate Law Firm of the Year

Sydney, 15 October 2013: Clayton Utz is again in the running take out the prestigious Corporate Law Firm of the Year award at the 2013 Fairfax CFO Awards.

Formerly known as the Capital CFO Awards, the Fairfax CFO Awards recognise the best individuals, deals, deal teams and professional services firms in Australian finance over the past 12 months.

Clayton Utz is one of a select group of 75 finalists this year, and one of four firms shortlisted in the Corporate Law Firm of the Year category, the others being King and Wood Mallesons, Herbert Smith Freehills and Baker and McKenzie. Clayton Utz was joint winner of the Corporate Law Firm of the Year award in 2012.

A number of transactions on which Clayton Utz was a legal adviser are also finalists for Deal of the Year awards:

Secondary Market Equity Raising of the Year

• Aurizon $1.5 billion block trade: Adviser to Queensland Treasury Holdings (QTH); Lead partners - Stuart Byrne, Tim Reid.

M&A of the Year

• AMP Capital and Westfield Group’s shopping centre restructure: Adviser to AMP Capital Investors; Lead partner - Fran Rush.
• Pacific Equity Partners’ $1.08 billion acquisition of Spotless Group: Adviser to Spotless Group; Lead partners - Rod Halstead and Karen Evans-Cullen.

Hybrid Issue of the Year

• Caltex’s $550 million subordinated notes offer: Adviser to Citigroup, UBS, NAB and Westpac as Joint Lead Managers (JLMs); Lead partner - Stuart Byrne.
• Suncorp’s $700 million Tier II transaction: Adviser to ANZ Securities, NAB, RBS Morgans, Westpac and UBS as JLMs; Lead partner - Stuart Byrne.
• APA Group’s $515 million subordinated notes offer: Adviser to Credit Suisse, Evans & Partners, Macquarie Capital, Morgan Stanley, RBS and RBS Morgans as JLMs; Lead partner - Brendan Groves.

Project Finance Deal of the Year

• Bendigo Hospital PPP project: Adviser to Department of Health (Victoria); Lead partners: Jo Pugsley, Dan Fitts, Sallyanne Everett.
• Sunshine Coast University Hospital: Adviser to Exemplar Health Consortium, comprising Capella Capital, Lend Lease, Siemens and Spotless; Lead partners - Jo Pugsley and Dan Fitts.
• Ichthys LNG project: Adviser to Chubu Electric Power Co.; Lead partners: Kevin O'Sullivan, Adel van der Walt.

The winners of the 2013 Financial Review CFO Awards will be announced at a function on 31 October.