Clayton Utz has become an Australian String Quartet patron, insisting that a group of lawyers and a group of musicians have more things in common than one might initially think.
Clayton Utz’s deal with the quartet is initially for a year with the law firm contributing to the group’s touring costs in NSW and Victoria, a report from
The Australian revealed.
In an interview about the newest partnership between the Sydney-headquartered law firm and the University of Adelaide-based string quartet, Clayton Utz’s Bruce Cooper explained why the deal makes sense.
“What a string quartet does at the quality end of the market, like the ASQ, is a lot like what lawyers deliver for their clients,” said the firm’s deputy chief executive partner.
“A string quartet subjugates the egos of the individuals to perform for the common good. If you get a great group of lawyers they do the same thing — it’s about putting the team before the individual because a team delivers more,” he added.
He also noted that the Australian String Quartet’s work is underappreciated. He said that the deal becomes a real partnership if the law firm can “give back” to the music group by widening its audience reach via the firm’s staff and clients.
However, becoming a patron of the string quartet did not go unquestioned at the law firm, the partner revealed, saying his more cynical peers asked what benefits the deal would give to the law firm.
“Lawyers always struggle to differentiate themselves. We can proclaim our differences until the cows come home. The issue for us is demonstrating that differentiation by forging the partnership with a group like the ASQ,” he said.
The Australian String Quartet, the Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music, was formed in 1985.
Apart from performances where the group aims to create chemistry and amplify intimacy through experiences that connect people with string quartet music, they are also known for having the privilege to wield a priceless matched quartet of instruments handcrafted by Italian master Giovanni Guadagnini in the 18th century. According to a
Sydney Morning Herald report, the rare instruments were priced at about $6m in 2012.
Clayton Utz which recently celebrated its 175th anniversary has offices in Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney and employs more than 1,400 lawyers and staff in Australia.
