This month marks global law firm Clyde & Co's 10th year in Australia, having opened its first Australian offices in Sydney and Perth in 2012, followed by Melbourne in 2013 and Brisbane in 2014.
Over the last 10 years, Clyde & Co Australia has grown from five partners to 39 and from 20 staff to more than 450. The firm has also sustained annual growth rates of over 20% each year over the past five years and has grown by 115% since 2018 – with Australia now Clyde & Co's third-largest country by fees generated, succeeding A$100 million annual revenue for the first time in FY2021/22.
“In Australia, the firm has seen a period of impressive growth since market entry 10 years ago. Jointly with our offerings in Hong Kong and Singapore, which have been in operation for four and three decades, respectively, the Australia business forms part of an exceptionally strong network across the Asia-Pacific region,” said Chris Jobson, partner and chair of Clyde & Co's APAC board.
Aside from individual key partner hires, Clyde & Co Australia has successfully integrated larger teams over the past 10 years, including workplace health and safety partners Alena Titterton and Michael Tooma from Norton Rose Fulbright in 2016 and partners David Lee and Lucinda Lyons in the same year, as well as David Amentas, Michelle Dunne, and Christopher Smith from legacy firm Lee & Lyons.
In 2018, the law firm added significant technology and media capabilities, with partner John Moran leading the team. The group has grown into a market-leading cyber, privacy, and media and technology team.
Despite the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the firm was able to expand its team – with professional and financial disputes partners Nicole Wearne, Ganga Narayanan, Mark Attard, and Jehan-Philippe Wood and their teams joining from Norton Rose Fulbright. In 2022, corporate insurance partner Matthew Ellis joined Clyde & Co from Norton Rose Fulbright, part of the same team that joined the firm two years prior.
Michael Tooma, managing partner for Australia at Clyde & Co, commented: “We have built a challenger brand with a different culture to the mainstream firms – a culture of inclusion, innovation, high performance, and joy. We have made working at a law firm fun again. We care about our people, and our people care about our clients and our business. Our clients trust us with their most important matters in our chosen sectors of insurance, energy, marine & natural resources, projects and construction, workplace health and safety, and insurance.”
Moving forward, Clyde & Co Australia aims to proactively pursue further growth in its chosen sectors through key partner hires and organic growth.
