In Surprise Move, Allen & Overy Plants Flag Down Under

With its Monday announcement that it is opening offices in Sydney and Perth with 17 locally recruited partners, British legal giant Allen & Overy is clearly making a major push into Australia. The newly hired group counts 15 former partners of Australian firm Clayton Utz, and two from Freehills. The move by one of London's top corporate firms highlights the growing conviction among U.K. shops that Australia presents a potentially lucrative route into the expanding Asian markets.