King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) Australian disputes head is set to leave the firm to join Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan's Sydney office. 

Beau Deleuil, who has been managing partner for the Australia disputes resolution practice since February 2012, was also recently appointed as the global co-ordinator for KWM's global disputes practice to help integrate the firm following the tie up between KWM and SJ Berwin in the UK.

Deleuil will be replaced in Australia by another Sydney-based partner Peter Pether, who will become the national head of dispute resolution and support the managing partner for banking and finance, Berkeley Cox in Brisbane. The firm is due to appoint a new practice co-ordinator shortly.

Specialising in commercial litigation with a focus on insolvency and restructuring, Deleuil has taken roles on significant disputes in Australia, particularly with regards to energy and resources, internal and external fraud investigations, access and regulatory claims and prosecutions and proceedings under trade practices legislation.

He was previously head of the firm's Perth office, and one of nine partners made a global practice head with the merger of King & Wood Mallesons and SJ Berwin on November 1 this year.

In a statement, the firm said: "Beau Deleuil is retiring from King & Wood Mallesons and will take a sabbatical before returning to practice. We wish him well for his future and thank him for his contribution to the management of the firm over two years and his previous roles including Partner in Charge in Perth."

Noone at the firm was available to comment.