Clayton Utz cleared in BAT shredding case

The Victoria Court of Appeal overturned a decision in the case against British American Tobacco (BAT) which found that BAT and Sydney-based firm Clayton Utz had wilfully shredded documents relevant to litigation against the company. Last week, the court found that there was no evidence to justify the finding in April that BAT or its law firm Clayton Utz had devised a strategy for the destruction of documents, or had changed the policy on document destruction in order to make it appear innocent. Clayton Utz senior partner Brian Wilson was also cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the matter. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com/lawyernews on 6 December.