Sydney, 24 May 2016: Clayton Utz is celebrating two significant award wins: FTI Consulting Australian Large Law Firm of the Year at the 2016 Australasian Law Awards, and Law Firm of the Year (20 partners or more) at the 2016 Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) Awards. This is the second year running that the firm has taken out both awards.
The Australian Large Law Firm of the Year award recognises outstanding client service, expertise across practice areas, and experience in large, complex and urgent transactions and disputes. Clayton Utz Chief Executive Partner Rob Cutler accepted the award on the firm's behalf at the 2016 Australasian Law Awards gala dinner held in Sydney on 19 May.
The following evening in Melbourne, Clayton Utz was named the winner of the LIV's Law Firm of the Year award, which recognises professional excellence, innovation, people initiatives, strategy and business growth, and commitment to social responsibility. Melbourne Partner-in-Charge Fred Prickett was delighted to accept the award at the Awards dinner in the presence of a CU team.
Rob Cutler said the recognition reflected the firm's continued focus on its most important assets: its people and clients.
"Although we don't set out to win awards, it's terrific to be recognised by the market and our peers. It's a reflection of our people's efforts and the strong relationships we have with our clients, who continue to put their confidence in us."
Clayton Utz was also presented with two Deal of the Year awards at the 2016 Australasian Law Awards.
The MYOB IPO won Equity Market Deal of the Year, and WestConnex Stage 2 took out the Property, Infrastructure & Projects Deal of the Year.
A Clayton Utz team led by partners Niro Ananda and Stuart Byrne advised MYOB, a leading management software solution provider, on its initial public offering and listing on the ASX on 4 May 2015. With a market capitalisation of over A$2 billion, MYOB was one of the largest IPOs to launch in the Australian market in 2015.
Stage 2 of the WestConnex project - a 33 kilometre motorway program being delivered in Sydney in three stages over a period of approximately 10 years - also involved a Clayton Utz team. Led by partners Stuart Cosgriff and David Wilkie, and with strategic input from Brad Vann, John Shirbin, Sergio Capelli and Peter Staciwa (with a large CU team in support), Clayton Utz advised the NSW Government's Roads and Maritime Services in connection with Stage 2 of the WestConnex Scheme. Stage 2 involves several components, including:
- the greenfield development of the "New M5" which will provide increased capacity along the M5 East corridor and extend the motorway to St Peters;
- a new major interchange with provision for future connections and upgrades;
- a brownfield concession in respect of the existing M5 East tunnel; and
- a provision to include the M5 South West Motorway in the WestConnex scheme upon the expiry of the existing concession over that motorway.
Stage 2 of the WestConnex project will be funded through $1.5 billion in private sector debt and a $2 billion Australian Government concessional loan, and reached financial close on 20 November 2015.