Clayton Utz  has announced that former Freshfields project finance lawyer Bruce Cooper will join the firm's Sydney banking & financial services practice as a partner in September. Cooper has spent the past 18 years of his career in Asia, most recently in Hong Kong where he led Freshfields' regional finance practice group overseeing a practice that spanned from China to Nigeria.

Cooper's appointment follows the recent announcement that securitisation lawyer Andrew Jinks would join Clayton Utz as a partner in August.

Meanwhile, CEP elect Darryl McDonough is set to officially take up the reins this week from David Fagan, who will remain in practice with the firm. McDonough has been with Clutz since 1993 and was most recently a corporate and M&A partner.