Bruce Cooper

Background

About Bruce Cooper

Bruce brings 35 years of legal, commercial, and governance expertise to the boardroom and strategic advisory table. As a former chief executive partner of top-tier Australian law firm Clayton Utz, Bruce managed the full spectrum of organisational complexity: high-stakes leadership, board relations, client growth, and people strategy. As deputy chief executive partner, he oversaw the firm's market-facing strategies, key client relationships and international engagement programmes. Prior to this, he was a Clayton Utz board member. His legal practice speciality is in energy, project and infrastructure work, with sectoral expertise in power, oil and gas, water, transport and mining. He has particular experience advising on project finance and commodity finance, as well as restructurings and work-outs for borrowers and lending groups on large project deals. He has transacted internationally in markets such as China, Iran, Kazakhstan, India, Japan, South-East Asia and Oceania. He also has extensive board experience, including with not-for-profits. He brings a pragmatic, composed voice to governance conversations, especially where commercial oversight, stakeholder complexity, or strategic repositioning are involved. Bruce is an active supporter of art and performance in Australia. In 2017 he initiated the Clayton Utz Art Partnership, an industry-first collaboration between Clayton Utz and established and emerging artists. He is also Deputy Chair of the Australian String Quartet. He has a keen interest in supporting and mentoring younger professionals and university students engaged in legal studies. Bruce is a trained mental health first aider and was, for several years, a Director of the Corporate Mental Health Alliance Australia.