Media release: Chord Advisory team joins Clayton Utz to bolster infrastructure and construction capabilities

The pair will join the firm along with a team of lawyers (also ex-HSFK), including three senior associates.

Mr Hugo established Chord Advisory and became its Managing Director in 2024, after 25 years at HSFK. He spent 14 years at HSFK as a partner, most recently as head of the firm's projects, energy and infrastructure section in Perth.

Mr Hugo advises both private sector clients and all levels of government on property development, infrastructure, construction and outsourcing projects in Australia and internationally. He also spent four years working in the United Kingdom, including in-house with multinational energy company EDF Energy and in private practice working on project finance, construction and PPP/PFI projects. He is highly regarded across the market and beyond for his cross-jurisdictional perspective and depth of experience.

Mr Ricketts has served as Chord's Chair since 2024, following his time as General Counsel of The Minderoo Foundation and Tattarang group of companies from 2020. Prior to this, Mr Ricketts spent 30 years at HSFK, including most recently leading the firm's global finance, real estate and projects practice. He is a non-executive director of several companies in the renewable energy and critical minerals sectors. Mr Ricketts’ role will be part time.

Chord Advisory is a Perth-based legal practice specialising in infrastructure, construction, property and land access and commercial transactions with public- and private-sector expertise across sectors including energy, resources, water, transport, health, housing and social infrastructure.

Clayton Utz Chief Executive Partner Emma Covacevich said the new appointments represent the latest phase of the firm's efforts to bolster its capabilities in Western Australia.

David, Jason and their team are joining Clayton Utz at a time of incredible growth in the West Australian economy, and a time of expansion in our Perth office.

They join the firm after the strategic appointments of Bryn Hardcastle, Dave Filov and Tristan Iredell from Allens, and enhance our infrastructure and construction capabilities across many of the sectors that are driving growth across the Australian economy.

Clayton Utz Perth Partner in Charge David Benson said the demand for construction and infrastructure specialists across major firms in WA suggests sustained, healthy demand for infrastructure-related legal work, spanning advice for new projects such as ports, roads, energy transition and resources infrastructure, through to disputes work as cost pressures and complex delivery models generate contention.

Western Australia's infrastructure pipeline is substantial, with an unprecedented $38 billion infrastructure program rolling out over the next four years.

Perth is also seeing significant urban renewal and social infrastructure activity, including hospital expansions and acquisitions, and transport projects.

David, Jason and their team will bring unrivalled expertise that will greatly enhance our ability to support clients in the west, around Australia and overseas. We are very excited to have them complement our existing projects offering.

Mr Hugo said the team's move to Clayton Utz represented a natural next step for the practice.

We've seen first-hand the strength of the client relationships that we've built and the demand for the kind of work we do at Chord.

Joining a national full-service firm gives our clients access to deeper resources and broader expertise, while allowing us to continue doing the work we are passionate about - helping deliver the projects that shape communities across Western Australia and beyond. I'm looking forward to bringing those relationships to Clayton Utz and working across the firm's practices to deliver even more for our clients.

Mr Hugo and Mr Ricketts will join Clayton Utz with their team in October.