Clayton Utz has rehired another former partner from Allen & Overy (A&O) in Sydney, five years after a 14-strong team from the firm was recruited by the magic circle outfit for its Australian debut.

Real estate partner David Wilkie has this week rejoined the corporate practice of the national Australian firm, and will work alongside capital markets partner Sonia Goumenis, who also exited A&O to return to Clayton Utz in September 2013.

The duo were part of a 14-partner group hired by A&O in 2010 to launch two offices in Western Australia and New South Wales. Three Clayton Utz partners were recruited in Perth and another 11 in Sydney.

Also joining the Australian outfit from A&O this week is corporate finance counsel Kylie de Oliveira. She too previously worked at Clayton Utz but had already left before the team move in 2010.

A&O was the first magic circle firm and among one of the earlier UK outfits to open in Australia, and continues to have a larger practice than rival Clifford Chance (CC) with a total of 21 partners compared with CC's 16.

However, five years after its launch and the firm's footprint remains significantly smaller than the country's 'big six' – each of which counts close to 150 partners nationally – and in spite of earlier plans to boost its partnership ranks to 30 and associate numbers to between 50 and 60.

Other partners to have exited the firm in Australia include former Mallesons competition partner Dave Poddar, and two other ex-Clayton Utz partners – banking lawyer Angela Flannery and Australian managing partner Grant Fuzi.

Corporate energy partner Barry Irwin – also former Clayton Utz – was relocated to Singapore.

A&O previously told Legal Week that growth had been slower for everyone than expected, and thus the firm had been cautious while avoiding redundancies.

Jason Denisenko has been listed on its website as a key contact in the wake of Fuzi's departure.