The story
Founded by Bob Nichols in 1833.1
Private company
Clayton Utz
Logo: Clayton Utz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4
Australian law firm
Clayton Utz is an Australian law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Darwin. Established in 1833, it is a large-sized firm, known as one of the big six Australian law firms. The firm is recognised for its litigation practice, government clients, pro bono services and high-profile alumni.2 It was founded by Bob Nichols.1 It employed 3 people in 2023.1 Its revenue was A$1.2 million in 2024.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
Overview
1833Founded1
- HeadquartersSydney Central Business District1
- Websitewww.claytonutz.com
- Legal formpartnership1
- Kind of organizationPartnership1
- LEI98450013BBA7F4FB7Z763
- StatusActive3
- LEI statusIssued and current3
- Registered addressLevel L15, 1 Bligh St, 2000 Sydney, Australia3
- Registered withAustralian Business Register of the Australian Taxation Office, 35 740 217 3433
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Clayton Utz is an Australian law firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Darwin. Established in 1833, it is a large-sized firm, known as one of the big six Australian law firms. The firm is recognised for its litigation practice, government clients, pro bono services and high-profile alumni. In 2024, the firm had an annual revenue of $594 million. As of 2021 it had 179 partners and 1,600 personnel in six offices.2
Leadership
Who has led Clayton Utz, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.
- FounderBob Nichols1
Products and brands
Legal services
Clayton Utz is a full-service law firm and provides legal services in a wide variety of practice areas. The primary focus of the firm is commercial law, although it has broad competence in a large number of practice areas.
The firm manages the affairs of clients across jurisdictions, and retains dual-qualified lawyers. It is a member of international legal networks such as Lex Mundi and the Pacific Rim Advisory Council.
Notable legal work
The firm has undertaken several high-profile matters including Toll Group's takeover of Patrick Corporation, Mayne Group's de-merger, and Tatts Group's $2.17 billion IPO and listing. The firm's corporate team has acted for AMP on its $14 billion acquisition of Axa Pacific Holdings and represented the Singapore Exchange on its proposed merger with ASX.
Notable clients of the firm include Commonwealth Bank, Noble Group, Barrick Gold and Fortescue.
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Pro bono work
The firm provides pro bono legal services supporting charities, non-profits, and vulnerable clients. The firm claims to average over 50 hours of pro bono work per lawyer at the firm. It employs two partners to run its pro bono practice, which was established in 1997. Although the firm is required to undertake a certain amount of pro-bono work to be eligible for government tenders, it is likely that it exceeds those requirements.
Social responsibility
In March 2010, the firm launched an action plan to reconcile with Indigenous Australians. The firm fully offsets its carbon emissions.
From Wikipedia’s article on Clayton Utz, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5
Employees over time
Revenue over time
As stated on Wikidata, in the currency reported.
Revenue
Controversies and legal
Controversies
McCabe v British American Tobacco
It has been alleged that the firm arranged for its clients to destroy legally damaging documents. These allegations arose out of a litigation brought by a smoker Rolah McCabe, against British American Tobacco in 2002. The presiding judge for the trial found that Clayton Utz had enabled BAT to engage in a document retention policy which destroyed documents implicating the company. On appeal it was found that the firm's conduct was not unlawful. In reaction to the decision, Victorian laws about document retention were strengthened by Parliament.
In 2006 it was revealed that an internal investigation by Clayton Utz had implicated its partner; finding he had engaged in professional misconduct. That partner, Glenn Eggleton, was found to have given 'potentially perjurious' evidence, and to have taken advantage of McCabe's limited life expectancy while conducting the litigation. Eggleton denied these allegations.
In the aftermath of the McCabe litigation Clayton Utz closed its tobacco claims practice.
Sexual harassment allegations
In 2011 Clayton Utz was sued in negligence for having failed to prevent sexual harassment at the firm. Emails had been circulated among graduate lawyers in the firm about another female graduate lawyer. Clayton Utz was found not liable, as the court did not find that its partners ought reasonably to have prevented the correspondence. The lawyer subject to the lawsuit resigned shortly after settlement of the suit.
From Wikipedia’s article on Clayton Utz, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5
Timeline
- 1833Founded Founded1
Links
- Websitewww.claytonutz.com1
- X (Twitter)x.com/ClaytonUtz1
- Facebookwww.facebook.com/ClaytonUtzCareers1
- Instagramwww.instagram.com/claytonutz1
- WikipediaClayton Utz
- More imagesWikimedia Commons
- WikidataQ5130347
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataClayton Utz on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaClayton Utz on Wikipedia
- 3
- 4Wikimedia CommonsClayton Utz logo by Clayton Utz, Public domain
- 5