2011 has been a time of change and uncertainty. As Europe continues to fight off an ongoing debt crisis and global firms continue their Australian onslaught, the Australian legal market has witnessed a number of major lateral partner moves. Lawyers Weekly presents its Top 25 movers & shakers of the year

Name: Adam Stapledon

Firm left: Freehills

Firm joined: Allen & Overy

Location: Sydney

After four years as a partner at Freehills, Adam Stapledon left to join the Sydney banking practice of Allen & Overy (A&O) in April. “Based on our internal and external due diligence, Adam is without question one of the most highly-regarded finance practitionersin Australia,” said A&O managing partner Grant Fuzi. Having previously worked at Shearman & Sterling in London, Stapledon has also lectured on syndicated lending courses at the University of Sydney and is a regular presenter at the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association documentation seminars.

Name: Tony Sparks

Firm left: Freehills

Firm joined: Allen & Overy

Location: Sydney

Sometimes a single event can sum up a long-term trend. TonySparks joining Allen & Overy was one such event. The wellregardedcapital markets and M&A lawyer was seen as one ofFreehills' rising stars at the time he suddenly departed for Allen &Overy after six years in the partnership.So why did he do it?"It was really the pull factor," he told Lawyers Weekly. "Thepractice is focused on transactional work, which is all about what Ido. We have set our stall out to be that here."Sparks said his client base from "the old shop" hasn't changedtoo much."The reception from clients of mine when working at A&O hasbeen excellent and I expect to be, and have been, working for broadlythe same clients," he said. "There are different corporate clientshere, like Chi-X, but I think the focus of my work will be the same."Former Freehills partners Aaron Kenavan and Chris Roberstonjoined A&O last year.

Name: Amanda Turnill

Firm left: Clayton Utz

Firm joined: DLA Piper

Location: Sydney

Life sciences and pharmaceutical lawyer Amanda Turnill left top-tier firm Clayton Utz to establish a new practice at DLA Piper in Sydney. Joining the firm’s litigation and regulatory group on 1 June as a partner, Turnill began the process of establishing a team of lawyers to support her life sciences practice. “I’m working closely with a number of pharmaceutical and medical mdevice clients and have been sharing referrals and introductions across several international offices,” she said. Prior to joining Clayton Utz, she was a partner at Lovells (now Hogan Lovells) in London, having practised there for more than a decade.

Name: Warwick Painter

Firm left: Allens Arthur Robinson

Firm joined: DLA Piper

Location: Sydney

After 11 years as a partner at Allens Arthur Robinson, finance expert Warwick Painter joined the Sydney corporate team of DLAPiper on 12 September. With another 14 years of experience gained as in-house corporate counsel at Westpac, including six years as head of Corporate and Institutional Legal at the bank, Painter said the decision to move from a top-tier Australian firm to the global network of DLA Piper was a personal one. "Australia is increasingly becoming part of a globalised world of business and, in my experience, clients in the legal finance sector are, almost without exception, part of a broader international business structure," Painter told Lawyers Weekly.

Name: Nick Dunstone

Firm left: Henry Davis York

Firm joined: Clifford Chance

Location: Hong Kong

The well-regarded banking and finance firm Henry Davis York is used to punching above its weight, being on the panels of the big four banks in Australia and regularly taking partners from the top-tier. However, the defection of well-known partner and restructuring specialist Nick Dunstone to Clifford Chance in Hong Kong last month was a notable coup for the magic circle firm, signalling that more lateral hires are on the way. “Over the last three years, our strategy has been to expand our best practices in the region, adding depth and breadth to areas that matter to our clients,” Asia Pacific managing partner Peter Charlton said in October. “Nick’s appointment continues that trend, and will help our restructuring and special situations team grow.”