DEPARTMENT PROFILE

Ashurst

Corporate/M&A

8 ranked lawyersBand 3AustraliaAsia-Pacific 2021 View ranking table

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What the team is known for

Australian arm of a global corporate practice, respected for its proven track record in the handling of large-scale transactions for household-name multinationals. Regularly advises leading private equity houses and financial institutions across a range of issues from initial investments to exits. Prized for its innovative transaction structures, in-depth knowledge of key industrial and business sectors, and a comprehensive international and regional service which includes a noted focus on China and Japan-related work.

Strengths

The team is lauded as "extremely commercially focused," a client commenting: "They know our corporate structure and commercial imperatives like the backs of their hands."

Work highlights

Acted for Woolworths on its restructure and the separation of its AUD10 billion Endeavour Drinks business.

Notable practitioners

Anton Harris is well regarded as an up-and-coming practitioner who assists clients on significant M&A transactions. He advises a varied clientele, including clients in the financial services sector.

Elspeth Arnold is praised as a "sensible, practical lawyer who doesn't over-service." Based in Melbourne, her practice covers corporate governance and M&A matters.

Garry Besson remains a highly experienced and respected corporate practitioner. His expertise covers both transactional and corporate governance matters.

Greg Golding is praised for "his really deep knowledge" and is noted for his experience assisting clients on complex transactions.

Mark Stanbridge is noted for his expertise in private equity transactions and public M&A. His client base includes some of the world's most reputable and large private equity firms as well as major ASX-listed corporates.

Philip Breden often advises on multibillion-dollar transactions for major ASX-listed and international clients across a variety of industries.

Roger Davies is based in Perth and frequently acts for clients on substantial M&A transactions, particularly with regard to matters in the energy and natural resources sector.

Department Information

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Overview

Department: Corporate/M&A & Private Equity

Partner for this department: John Brewster & Anton Harris

No of employees in department: 175

Ashurst's Corporate / M&A team offers a global reach and a collaborative international network. Our clients benefit from our expertise and offices across all major commercial centres in Australia, the UK, USA, EU and throughout the Middle East. Notably, our Australian lawyers frequently collaborate with teams in Asia on both inbound and outbound transactions.

We operate dedicated global industry teams focusing on five core areas, which correspond to current M&A trends: Banks & Funds, Digital Economy, Energy & Resources, Infrastructure and Real Estate. As a result, we have been involved in some of the biggest M&A transactions across these key industries and others. Our team is proud to have been the trusted legal adviser on a number of landmark transactions in the Australian market.

We are known for executing complex, big ticket private equity transactions. We have played a key role on the largest, most significant and complex deals in the market.