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Clayton Utz adds former Baker McKenzie practice head
National law firm Clayton Utz has appointed Baker McKenzie’s former head of restructuring and insolvency as a partner.
Grace Robbie
Clayton Utz – the recipient of Lawyers Weekly’s Australian Law Awards Intellectual Property Team of the Year in 2022, 2018 and 2017 – has appointed Maria O’Brien (pictured), who has over 30 years of experience within the legal sphere.
Before her new appointment, O’Brien worked at international law firm Baker McKenzie for over 26 years, where she was the Australian head of restructuring and insolvency and a member of the firm’s global restructuring and insolvency steering committee.
Clayton Utz stated that O’Brien possesses “significant experience over many years acting for distressed or insolvent companies, administrators, creditors, debtors, financial institutions, insolvency practitioners, distressed debt funds, and company directors on both contentious and non-contentious issues arising from corporate distress”.
O’Brien is also the president of Australia’s Turnaround Management Association, of which she was the first female president, and is a fellow of INSOL International (International Association of Restructuring Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals).
This news follows Clayton Utz alumnus High Brolsma returning as a partner in the firm’s national corporate practice in early February and the promotion of Mark Brady, William Howe and Katherine Mallik to partner in mid-January.
Nicholas Poole, the firm’s national practice group leader of the restructuring and insolvency practice group, underscored how O’Brien’s appointment will bolster the services that Clayton Utz provides.
“Maria’s addition to Clayton Utz will enhance our reputation for providing market-leading services to debtors, financial creditors, sponsors, bondholders, and directors on all aspects of restructurings, workouts, and cross-border insolvencies,” he stated.
“Maria’s move to Clayton Utz comes amid an anticipated increase in formal insolvencies, presenting a substantial opportunity for our restructuring and insolvency practice.”
