Clayton Utz lawyers Rachel Richardson and Danielle Barry among the legal profession's top 30 under 30

Sydney, 29 June 2017: Clayton Utz lawyers Rachel Richardson and Danielle Barry were named among Australia's top young legal talent at the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards in Sydney on 23 June.

Rachel, a Sydney based lawyer in the Real Estate national practice group, was named a winner in the Construction and Real Estate category, while Brisbane based IP and Technology lawyer Danielle took out the award for Pro Bono. Rachel and Danielle were among 30 winners chosen from 150 finalists across 15 practice area categories.

Rachel joined Clayton Utz in 2014 and is a pivotal member of the Clayton Utz Real Estate team that advises clients on major projects such as the $2 billion Parramatta Square development, the Civic Place Project within the Liverpool CBD and UrbanGrowth NSW's sale of Australian Technology Park.  Rachel is also active in the firm's Pro Bono practice, providing legal advice and support to unfairly dismissed low-income workers through the Redfern Legal Centre and Marrickville Centre's Unfair Dismissal and General Protections Advocacy Scheme.

Rachel said she was humbled by the recognition: "As junior lawyers, we all work extremely hard because we are passionate about law and we are committed to our clients and our teams. It is an honour to be able to showcase our work and be recognised for it among so many outstanding lawyers and in front of the wider legal profession."

Danielle was similarly proud to be recognised for her pro bono contributions. "Pro bono is an important part of my legal practice and it has helped me develop skills that complement my abilities as a commercial lawyer," said Danielle. "I am fortunate to work for a firm such as Clayton Utz which has a strong pro bono practice and culture that has provided me with many opportunities to grow and excel, and to work alongside such a fantastic team who have supported and motivated me every step of the way."

On top of her commercial work, Danielle is the Pro Bono coordinator for the firm's Brisbane office, overseeing the matter referral process and maintaining Clayton Utz' relationships with Community Legal Centres. Her pro bono work involves advising on trade mark registrations and drafting bespoke commercial agreements for not for profits. Danielle has also helped draft submissions for Caxton Legal Centre on the proposed Human Rights Act for Queensland, and a report for the Kaleidoscope Human Rights Foundation on the state of transgender rights in the Asia Pacific region.

Three other Clayton Utz lawyers were finalists in other award categories: David Foong (Commercial), John Karantonis (Mergers and Acquisitions) and Kate McLean (Projects, Energy and Resources).

Now in its fifth year, the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Awards celebrate young lawyers for their professional excellence and contributions to the legal profession and wider community.