Private Equity
Asia-Pacific Guide 2025 : Australia
Band 1
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+61 2 9230 4000About
Provided by Allens
With emphasis on quality, innovation and timeliness, Allens delivers highly successful outcomes in mergers and acquisitions for leading companies in Australia and around the world. We are one of only a few firms with a large number of public and private M&A specialists with the expertise to be able to advise on Australia's largest and most complex deals. This is evidenced by our consistent strength in the M&A league tables year after year. The depth of our firm means we are able to provide the large M&A teams and expert specialist advice required on these significant transactions, including major privatisations, cross-border acquisitions, significant telecommunications transactions and major global transactions.
Our highly regarded private equity team has significant experience advising global and domestic private equity sponsors across the investment lifecycle, from establishment, complex buyouts, distressed investments, minority stakes, bolt-on acquisitions, take-privates, leveraged and syndicated financing, through to eventual exit, whether that be through initial public offering or divestment.
Our strong and enduring relationships with leading financial advisers and regulators, including the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, the ACCC, the Takeovers Panel and the Australian Securities Exchange, enable us to play an effective part in any advisory team.
Chambers Review
Allens offers a richly resourced and versatile group, handling some of Australia's highest-value and most significant cross-border and global public M&A transactions for a blue-chip, international clientele. The firm also acts for prominent private equity houses across the full spectrum of transactional issues and is able to draw on talent in capital markets, banking, funds and tax departments to provide a comprehensive offering, covering the full private equity life-cycle. It is active across a diverse range of industry sectors, including large-scale infrastructure and telecommunications, and is especially prominent on major takeovers and privatisations. Through its collaboration with its global alliance partner Linklaters, the firm offers fully integrated services across Asia and Australasia to advise on highly sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional transactions.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"They are committed to providing the right outcomes and go about it the right way by seeking pragmatic solutions without overcooking the advice and work involved."
"Allens is the premiere private capital legal advisory firm nationally. Allens has an exceptional DNA of thoroughness, tenacity and work ethic."
"They have fantastic expertise and are very responsive. In particular, all the partners are very personable, clear subject matter experts and very consistently reliable."
"They are committed to providing the right outcomes and go about it the right way by seeking pragmatic solutions without overcooking the advice and work involved."
"Allens is the premiere private capital legal advisory firm nationally. Allens has an exceptional DNA of thoroughness, tenacity and work ethic."
"They have fantastic expertise and are very responsive. In particular, all the partners are very personable, clear subject matter experts and very consistently reliable."
Notable Practitioners
Guy Alexander operates from Allens' Sydney office and frequently assists clients on multibillion-dollar public M&A transactions.
"He's one of the leading Australian lawyers with deep M&A capabilities."
Tom Story maintains a market-leading profile in both the public M&A and private equity areas, advising some of the largest multinational private equity houses and investors. He is based in Sydney and is head of Allens' corporate practice and co-head of the private equity team.
Vijay Cugati maintains a versatile and varied corporate practice from the Sydney office, offering over two decades' experience in the management of a comprehensive range of deal types, including public takeovers, carve-out transactions, schemes of arrangement, private acquisitions and disposals.
Richard Kriedemann offers an impressive breadth of expertise in the M&A space, including public takeovers, joint ventures, share acquisitions and disposals, and is also notable for his experience assisting on matters relating to Papua New Guinea from his base in Sydney.
"He is highly commercial, with great strategic thinking."
Christopher Blane is based in Sydney and is active on some of Allens' most prominent private and public M&A deals and schemes of arrangement.
Emin Altiparmak is a Melbourne-based private equity specialist who frequently supports private equity firms with substantial acquisitions, disposals and takeovers.
"He's a great operator, trusted and respected. He provides fantastic client service."
"A provider of exceptional counsel. He is diligent, thoughtful and works exceptionally hard."
"He is very detailed, super commercial and technical. A lawyer with extra commercial acumen."
Kounny Rattley practises principally in the private equity space, offering experience of work for both global and domestic private equity houses from her base in Allens' Sydney office.
"She is very commercial and has a good bedside manner. She's always available and this is really appreciated."
Kylie Brown is a well-regarded partner in the M&A space whose Sydney-based practice is oriented towards the media and infrastructure industries, where she regularly acts on substantial transactions.
Mark Malinas acts principally on private equity transactions from the Melbourne office and is frequently instructed by prominent private equity outfits.
"He is very accessible. He makes it his business to be across the issues and not just delegate it down to junior members of the team. He's always looking to find solutions to problems that come up."
"Mark is very responsive. His technical expertise and pragmatic approach are highly valued."
"Mark is a safe pair of hands for all M&A issues."
Noah Obradovic is well-known for advising private equity firms on a wide range of transactions, including takeovers, carve-outs, exits and disposals. He co-heads the firm's private equity practice from Sydney.
"Noah has a cool head. Regardless of the strength of the storm, he engages professionally and pragmatically."