The fallout from upheaval within firms in the upper echelons of the Australian legal market continues with news today (5 December) that King & Wood Mallesons‘ (KWM) global head of disputes Beau Deleuil has quit to join Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in Sydney.
The exit follows KWM merging with SJ Berwin, which went live on 1 November and after Deleuil was appointed to the newly created role of global practice co-ordinator of disputes.
The recruit is the third significant hire for US litigation boutique Quinn, which launched in Sydney in May this year after picking up two partners from another Anglo-Australian hybrid – Herbert Smith Freehills duo Michael Mills and Michelle Fox.
Deleuil joined Mallesons Stephen Jacques in Perth ten years ago as a solicitor and became a partner in 2001. He was named managing partner King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney in 2012 and national head of dispute resolution.
He has experience of advising on contentious and insolvency-matters within the financial services and property sectors, and specialises in commercial litigation, with a particular focus on insolvency, banking, professional indemnity and competition law, including pricing, access and regulatory matters.
Quinn Emanuel managing partner, John Quinn (pictured) said: ‘We are delighted that a lawyer of Beau’s stature has joined us. Beau instinctively understood the benefits of our firm. He is a litigator first and foremost. With Beau joining Michael and Michelle, we now have three of Australia’s top commercial litigation lawyers leading our Australian litigation team.’
Sydney managing partner at the firm Michelle Fox added: ‘Since opening, we have met with many of Australia’s leading companies and their general counsel. Beau’s name constantly came up as one of the most highly rated litigators in Australia. We also received very positive reactions to QE’s pure litigation model and global capability, all of which similarly appealed to Beau.’
Deleuil will join the Quinn’s Sydney office in April next year.
Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
