Clayton Utz has significantly boosted the senior ranks of its Canberra office with the hire of four partners from MinterEllison, including its office managing partner, Geoff Shaw.

Shaw, a commercial litigator, is moving across to Clayton Utz after 17 years at MinterEllison, eight as a partner.

Joining Clayton Utz with him are Amanda Story, who led MinterEllison’s government practice, real estate specialist Edward Campbell and government procurement adviser Suriyaa Rome.

All four partners bring with them substantial experience advising on government matters, with Story having been MinterEllison’s client relationship partner for the Australian government, according to her LinkedIn profile. Like Rome, she specialises in government procurement and outsourcing. 

Welcoming the arrivals Clayton Utz chief executive partner Emma Covacevich said: “We’re growing our presence in Canberra in response to an increasing need for complex legal advice in both the private and public sector. The Australian Capital Territory’s economy is growing and the associated requirement for expert legal advice is evolving.”

The quartet’s arrival, at a date yet to be confirmed, will boost the number of partners in Clayton Utz’s Canberra office to 15, leapfrogging MinterEllison and HWL Ebsworth in terms of partner headcount in Australia’s capital city, according to publicly available data tracked by Pirical.

In April, MinterEllison lost two specialist government partners to Mills Oakley: Darwin-based indigenous land disputes specialist Sophie Cleveland and Lachlan Drew, whose practice spans Adelaide and Darwin and includes advising on government procurement, land tenure and M&A.

For its part, MinterEllison made up Canberra-based Carolina Dorman to the partnership in its June promotions round. Dorman advises government and private sector clients on procurement and contracting matters, particularly in the context of technology and major complex projects.

A spokeswoman said: “Four partners are departing MinterEllison for other opportunities at a different firm. We want to thank these partners for their service at our firm.”

Last month, national firm Gadens agreed to merge with Canberra-based firm Trinity Law, expanding its footprint to the capital.