King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) Australia managing partner Tony O'Malley has quit the firm just 14 months after taking up his current role.

O'Malley has agreed to step down from the management role immediately and will retire as a partner of the firm on 31 December this year.

He was appointed as Australia managing partner of the firm in January 2012 after 13 years at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, which merged with China's King & Wood in March last year.

KWM global managing partner Stuart Fuller said: "Tony has made a significant contribution to the firm for over 13 years, seven of which were in senior leadership roles. The board and I would like to thank him for the valuable role he has played in the formulation, development and implementation of the firm's strategy.

He added that a board sub-committee had been formed to appoint a new Australian managing partner and that O'Malley would assist in the transition.

"The board has started the process of appointing a new managing partner Australia and expects to make an announcement within the next two to three weeks. In the interim I will work closely with managing partners, executive directors, under the supervision of the board, to ensure it is business as usual until a new managing partner Australia has been appointed," added Fuller.

The merger of China's King & Wood and Australia's Mallesons Stephen Jaques went live in March 2012, with the two firms, which combined under a Swiss verein structure, appointing an executive committee to manage the new outfit.

The team comprises O'Malley, Mallesons chief executive Stuart Fuller, King & Wood managing partner Wang Ling and international managing partner Rupert Li.