Gates open for Clutz partner
K&L Gates has poached a Perth-based energy & resources partner from Clayton Utz.
![Gates open for Clutz partner](/images/LW_Media_Library/King_John300.jpg)
John King (pictured) started at K&L’s Perth office this month, however he will relocate to Singapore later in the year.
King has 20 years’ experience in the petroleum and petrochemical sectors and has focused his practice on international oil & gas projects.
Prior to joining Clutz, King was a senior legal counsel with energy company Eni International. He was also a partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth for three years between 2004 and 2007.
King is the latest in a series of partner defections from Clutz in 2014.
Earlier this month Sydney-based infrastructure partner Angus Foley left the firm to join Ashurst. Clutz also dropped highly-regarded energy and resources partner Darren Fooks, who resigned from the partnership in April to spearhead Baker & McKenzie’s new Brisbane office.
Another of Clutz’s energy & resources partners in Brisbane, Keira Brennan, defected to Norton Rose Fulbright in March after more than 10 years in the Clutz partnership. Brennan quit just weeks after Sydney-based banking & finance partner Paul Gatward left Clutz to join HWL Ebsworth.
K&L Gates also lost a banking & finance partner recently. Richard Winter joined the Sydney office of Allion Legal in February to head up the firm’s new finance practice. That same month K&L Gates poached financial services group head Liz Gray and three other lawyers from Henry Davis York.