Guy Alexander is the highly experienced and respected co-head of the practice. His notable work includes advising Billabong International during a proposed takeover by global private equity house TPG Capital, and on the sale of one of its US-based businesses, Nixon Inc.

Chairman of partners Ewen Crouch earns universal respect for his role in a number of landmark deals, including acting for the Foster's Group on its merger with SABMiller, one of the largest M&A deals in 2011.

Practice co-head Jon Webster recently acted for Newcrest Mining on the sale of its interests in the Cracow and Mount Rawdon gold mines in Queensland.

Richard Kriedemann recently advised Rio Tinto on its acquisition of Coal & Allied Industries, a joint venture with Mitsubishi Development. He continues to handle a great deal of matters relating to Papua New Guinea.

Kylie Brown's notable work includes assisting Foxtel with its AUD1.93 billion proposed acquisition of Austar.

In a busy year, Richard Spurio has acted for a range of banks and corporates. He advised on the restructuring of the Grocon construction business, and handled the Australian aspects of a joint venture between Shell and China National Petroleum Company.

Tom Storyadvised an Archer Capital-led consortium on the AUD1.2 billion sale of MYOB, Australia's largest independent software vendor, to Bain Capital.

Igor Bogdanich has a strong focus on working in the mining, natural resources and energy spheres, and is highly experienced at handling matters related to Mongolia. In recent years, he worked on the investment agreement and development of Oyu Tolgoi, an undeveloped gold and copper resource in Mongolia. The deal was valued at AUD6.7 billion.

Marcus Clark has extensive expertise in handling cross-border matters, particularly as they relate to Thailand. An example of a recent deal is advising the Stock Exchange of Thailand on its establishment of a joint venture with FTSE International for the development of a FTSE/SET equity index series.

Melbourne-based partner Robert Clarke worked in the firm's Singapore office for many years, where he was the managing partner. He maintains a strong practice in relation to Singapore, acting on a range of M&A, joint ventures and investments.

Tony Damian is widely respected in the market, with one interviewee calling him "the M&A man." He advised Peabody Energy on its successful USD5.2 billion hostile takeover of Macarthur Coal, the largest coal takeover in Australian history. He also acted for Santos on its USD1.5 billion sell-down to Total and KOGAS (Korean Gas Corporation). The deal involved co-ordinating counterparties in Malaysia and France. 

Notably, Philippa Stone advised Aston Resources on a AUD5.1 billion merger with Whitehaven Coal and an acquisition by Whitehaven of other assets from Boardwalk Resources. She also acted for Yanzhou Coal and its subsidiary Yancoal Australia on the proposed AUD8 billion merger with Gloucester Coal. She is described as "one of the best around – an outstanding performer." 

Rodd Levy's notable work includes acting for ANZ on the AUD580 million sale of shares in Burrup Holdings to Apache and Yara. An impressed client notes: "He has a first-rate legal mind, he remains calm under pressure and he instils a sense of confidence."

Rebecca Maslen-Stannage's clients refer to her as "outstanding" and "brilliant," with one commenting: "She is unflappable. She gets on with people and gets through on outstanding and incredibly hard work." Maslen-Stannage acts for a range of international and domestic clients, including SMB United and Seven Group Holdings. She was also a key adviser to Centro on what is considered to be one of the most complex restructurings in Australian history.

The experienced Robert Nicholson is said to be "very client-focused, solution-driven and proactive," and "can push a deal forward." His clients include Asahi Group Holdings and TPG Capital.

Baden Furphy continues to build his reputation in the M&A market and most recently handled Santos' AUD900 million acquisition, by scheme of arrangement, of Eastern Star Gas. He also acted for Hastings Diversified Utilities Fund on its defence against a hostile takeover offer from APA Group.

Fiona Gardiner-Hill continues to impress with her "incredible legal knowledge, very good turnaround times and depth of commercial wisdom." As well as M&A and corporate law, her expertise covers securities law and the Corporations Act. She advised the ASX on its proposed merger with the Singapore Exchange.

Martin Shakinovsky has particularly strong corporate experience acting for global corporates in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, with clients such as Kraft and Cadbury. He recently acted for Metcash on a number of acquisitions and a disposal. "He's very commercial and multi-skilled," say interviewees.

David Friedlander is described by sources as a "go-to guy" and "an extraordinarily good lawyer and a nice guy to deal with." He acted for ArcelorMittal on its joint off-market takeover bid with Peabody Energy for Macarthur Coal.

Timothy Bednall is chairman of the firm's board and a highly respected member of the M&A and corporate advisory group. A source says that he provides "commercial focus, good depth of knowledge and a good sized team that can get you across the line on time."

Stephen Minns is well respected and specialises in public company acquisitions as well as general corporate work. He led the team acting for AXA Asia Pacific Holdings on its merger with AMP and co-ordinated matters in other jurisdictions including China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, India and Singapore.

Jason Watts' broad M&A experience includes acting for Hellman & Friedman on its bid for MYOB, which was sold by Archer Capital. His practice has a particular focus on private equity, and other clients include Providence and Blackstone.

Diana Nicholson is valued by clients for delivering "fantastic commercial advice." Based in the Melbourne office, her practice covers general commercial law, takeovers and acquisitions, as well as fund-raising.

Craig Semple leads the M&A group and is well regarded amongst peers and clients. He has a strong record of advising some of the world's leading banks and corporates, such as GE, Transurban and Goldman Sachs.

Greg Golding is widely admired in the market, with one source describing him as "really one of the smartest." Golding was a lead partner acting for ArcelorMittal on its joint off-market takeover bid with Peabody Energy for Macarthur Coal.

Simon Milne is valued by clients as a lawyer who is “very easy to work with and client-oriented, with lots of experience” in the Greater China region. Milne recently relocated to Sydney from Hong Kong.

Robert Hanley heads the firm's London office, and has over 25 years of experience assisting clients in both Europe and Australia. He is dual-qualified in England and Wales and in Australia (New South Wales). His areas of expertise include M&A, foreign investment, IPO and rights issues, private equity, restructurings and financings.

Marie McDonald heads the M&A group and is described as "a top lawyer." Her headline transactions include acting for Tronox on its acquisition of Exxaro's mineral sands operations, a matter valued at AUD3.5 billion.

The well-known Garry Besson joined the firm in early 2012. Clients report that "he has an outstanding reputation as one of the leading lawyers in the country, earned over many years of practice."

Gary Lawler also joined the group in early 2012, and is equally well respected for "his sheer breadth of knowledge and really good commerciality." He acted for the Tinkler Group as an investor in Boardwalk Resources when Whitehaven Coal sought to acquire all of the shares in Boardwalk, which was conditional upon the Whitehaven and Aston Resources merger. 

Elspeth Arnold is particularly skilled in general corporate and corporate governance matters, as well as handling M&A work. According to a source, "she gives good practical advice and brings a lot of experience as to what other entities are doing." Arnold was a key member of the team acting for Crown on its acquisition of a 10% interest in the Echo Entertainment Group.

Philip Breden has considerable M&A and capital markets experience. He has represented AGL in a number of transactions involving its demerger and the subsequent merger of its infrastructure business with Alinta and a spin-off of AGL Energy, valued at AUD10 billion.

Perth-based Roger Davies acts for a range of resource and energy corporates. His busy year saw him acting for Gold One International on its acquisition of Rand Uranium. He also represented Exco Resources in its sale of the Cloncurry Copper Project.

Bill Koeck's broad experience encompasses restructuring, workouts and equity capital markets, as well as M&A and corporate governance. His clients include Drillsearch Energy and Crane Group, the latter of which he advised on a high-profile takeover bid by Fletcher Building.

Stephen Menzies has considerable corporate transactional experience, and represents a range of investment banks and corporates. Most recently he acted for Mitsubishi Development on a joint bid with Rio Tinto for Coal & Allied.

Mark Stanbridge is described by clients as "outstanding." He acted for Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ) on its acquisition of Mantra Resources and back-to-back agreement to sell Mantra to ARMZ's subsidiary Uranium One.

John Sartori led the team acting for ConnectEast Management (the responsible entity of the ConnectEast Investment Trust and ConnectEast Holding Trust) in relation to the acquisition of ConnectEast by Horizon Roads. Finalising this complex matter involved dealing with ASIC on various regulatory issues and the Foreign Investment Review Board.

Ashurst's China desk, based principally in its Sydney office, provides advice on all aspects of corporate/M&A and overseas investments, including taxation and environmental issues. The desk is particularly adept at handling energy, resources and mining projects for Chinese companies doing business in Australia and vice versa. A key contact in Sydney is the very experienced Stephen Menzies, and for Melbourne and Perth it is Justin Shmith, who was based in the firm's Shanghai office for three years, where he was the managing partner. He has extensive experience of advising Chinese state-owned enterprises and has been involved in some of the largest deals in the region. The China desk recently advised China Minmetals on the acquisition of the majority of assets of OZ Minerals, a USD1.38 billion deal.

The firm has Indonesia desks based in Melbourne and Perth, which deal particularly with investments into the Indonesia resources sector. In Melbourne, Simon Fraser and Martin Kudnig are the main points of contact. In Perth, the main contacts are Adam Conway, Lorenzo Pacitti and Rupert Lewi (who also handles Japan-related work). The team recently advised the Mercuria Energy Group on the acquisition of Kalimantan Energi Lestari, a company which holds a contract for work at the East Kalimantan coal mine.

The Korean corporate group at the firm is also highly focused on energy and natural resources, and has built up an enviable list of blue-chip Korean clients, including Korea Electric Power, POSCO and the Korea Resources Corporation. A main contact for the group is Ian Williams, whose appreciative clients say that his main strength is "his balanced advice, both legal and commercial." He recently advised SK Group on a share subscription in Cockatoo Coal, a deal valued at AUD313 million.

Another key contact on the desk is Christine Oh, who is praised by clients as being "incredibly well connected with Korean companies and investors." She played a part in the Cockatoo Coal deal mentioned above.

In addition to being a key contact on the Indonesia desk, Rupert Lewi has some 12 years' experience of handling Japan work, and clients praise him for his "good commercial sense." He recently advised Mitsui on its 50% equity participation in an LNG project in Papua New Guinea.

Richard Flynn operates from Brisbane, but remains heavily engaged in Papua New Guinea matters. For example, he led on advising Horizon Oil on the establishment of a USD160 million reserves-based lending facility, and represented Vale in negotiating a farm-in agreement with Goldminex.

David Frecker is based in Sydney and is another member of the group with specialist PNG focus. A mining, oil and gas specialist, he recently served on the team advising BNP Paribas on the provision of a short-term finance facility to Petromin PNG Holdings.

Rod Halstead "has supreme commercial judgement and commands the confidence of boards," according to one client. With more than 25 years' experience, Halstead is known for handling some of the largest and most complex deals in the market. He is a member of the Takeovers Panel.

John Elliott is described simply as "really excellent," and commands great respect for his depth of experience. He advised Canadian resources company Barrick Gold on its AUD7 billion plus acquisition of Equinox Minerals.

Karen Evans-Cullen attracts recognition for the exceptional quality and range of her transactional work. Sources report: "She really knows her stuff, is unflappable in negotiations, is extremely easy to work with, and is very responsive to clients' needs." Her highlights include advising OneSteel on the divestment of its piping systems business.

Mark Paganin leads the corporate practice in Perth, and handles a range of resources matters for many of Western Australia's major corporates. Recent work includes acting for Taurus Minerals on a takeover offer for Extract Resources, valued at AUD2.2 billion. He also advised Glencore on its AUD1 billion takeover offer for Minara Resources.

John King spent many years working as in-house counsel at an Eni subsidiary in Indonesia. He has a great deal of experience handling Indonesia matters, including advising the Virginia Indonesia Company on LNG sales arrangements with the Bontang LNG facility.

Braddon Jolley is highly regarded and has a reputation for handling complex, large-scale M&A. "He has a powerful intellect, and an ability to think laterally and creatively and provide effective solutions," according to impressed interviewees.

Teresa Handicott is well respected in this arena, with one source commenting: "She can give you advice which is unpopular and she does that well; she always handles people well." Handicott's notable work includes advising Macarthur Coal on its AUD4.9 billion takeover by Peabody Energy.

Impressed clients report that Sandy Mak is "very strong technically, very commercial and outcome-focused." She has spent some years practising in London and Hong Kong, and has consequently built considerable cross-border experience. This is illustrated by her assisting Chobani, formerly Agro Farma, with its acquisition of Bead Foods in Australia. 

The firm's China desk lawyers have a long history of advising Chinese corporations, as well as acting as joint counsel with leading PRC law firms. Its focus is on corporate/M&A, particularly in respect of the natural resources sectors. It also has expertise in international trade. It recently represented Yanzhou Coal in its acquisition of Felix Resources, a deal worth AUD3.5 billion. Andrew Lumsden is a key point of contact, and has more than 20 years of experience working on China-related M&A matters in the natural resources industries.

The ever popular Peter Cook advises on a broad range of M&A and capital markets matters. "He is a strong all-round, go-to lawyer," and "he is very highly regarded by us and the market," say sources. His notable work includes advising Ludowici on competing proposals from FL Smidth and The Weir Group to acquire all of Ludowici's issued capital.

Andrew Bullock "has a great skill set in M&A" and "his advice is doubly useful because of his commerciality," according to clients. His notable deals include advising Pacific Equity Partners on its proposed takeover of the Spotless Group by a scheme of arrangement.

Neil Pathak continues to build a strong practice and advises a range of significant clients, including Orica and Exxaro Resources. He acted for Forestry Tasmania and GMO Renewable Resources on the sale of their forestry joint venture to New Forests. One client says: "He is just excellent in everything he does."

Deborah Johns has spent many years working in the USA and in the Hong Kong and Shanghai offices of international law firms. Her experience covers private equity and project finance as well as corporate/M&A, with a particular focus on China, Taiwan and India. She speaks Mandarin Chinese.

Bart Oude-Vrielink has more than 25 years' experience in advising Australian and international public and private companies in this sphere.

Well regarded in this market, Costas Condoleon led on Rio Tinto's acquisition of Riverdale Mining Group.

John Steven heads the national corporate division. Headline work includes advising Consolidated Media Holdings on Foxtel's bid for Austar, which was valued at AUD2 billion.

James Philips acted for EPN Investment Management on its announcement of an off-market takeover bid for all the units in EDT Retail Trust that it did not at the time own.

The experienced China desk at the firm represents a number of large clients, with energy and medical sectors being particular areas of expertise. It recently acted for Gloucester Coal on the tax issues relating to its AUD8 billion merger with Yancoal, a subsidiary of Yanzhou Coal. A key contact on the desk is Sophie Chen, who has considerable experience in assisting Chinese state-owned companies and private entities investing in Australia. She is admitted in both Australia and China, and has worked on legal matters in these jurisdictions for over 14 years, including having served as an associate judge in the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate Court.

Marcus Best's expertise spans cross-border investments and divestments in and out of Australia, working particularly closely with corporates from China. Clients include a number of mining and resources companies, such as Zijin Mining Group, China Guangdong Nuclear Power and COFCO.

Michael Whalley is head of the firm's London office, where he leads the team's Australia-related work. He has over three decades of experience in handling cross-border matters between these jurisdictions, and in particular is valued for his work in corporate and securities matters.

Michael Parshall recently advised BT Investment Management on its acquisition of J O Hambro Capital Management, and acted for PTT International on its acquisition of Straits Resources for USD546 million. A source reports: "He is technically as good as it gets, very smart. He is very proactive in finding solutions and partners well with clients."

Aaron Kenavan is appreciated for his broad experience, especially in investment banking, and counts Archer Capital, National Hire and SABMiller amongst his clients. One interviewee comments: "He is a very good technical lawyer, very focused on understanding the nuances and details of the law, and he has a personal style that plays well with clients."

Steven Glanz leads the corporate group and is appreciated by clients because "he is commercial and manages the delivery of legal services very well, and always delivers well-reasoned, excellent advice." His workload included advising New Hope on a potential takeover transaction with an overall value in the region of AUD6 to AUD8 billion.

Benjamin McLaughlin has worked on some huge transactions in recent years and, in addition to extensive M&A and corporate governance expertise, he also advises on securities and capital markets matters. "He was extraordinarily good at dealing with the client and the vendor," said one source.

Based in Melbourne, Richard Lustig is famed for his combination of technical adroitness and a "calm and professional demeanour." He has many years' M&A experience, particularly in the natural resources and oil and gas sectors.

Mathieu Hanaut, who has some 17 years' experience practising in France and Australia, recently joined the firm's Sydney office. He handles corporate mandates relating to mining and resources, with considerable experience in advising clients on investments into Australia and the Pacific Islands. 

Sydney-based Mark Pistilli is valued by clients for his experience and responsiveness, with one commenting: "He is terrific – hard-edged when needed but not when that would not be helpful; his judgement was excellent." Pistilli advised Citi on the Australian law aspects of the disposal of its interests in the EMI Group, which was effected through two separate transactions.

Ian Cochrane is based in Perth and acts for many major Western Australian companies. In a busy year, he has handled a series of resources matters, such as advising PTT on its acquisition of Perth-based Red Island Minerals, which holds the licences and concessions to develop the Sakoa coal field in Madagascar.

Daniel Simmons in Sydney handles complex M&A, with a particular focus on takeovers and schemes of arrangement. He acted for the Everest Group on its corporate restructuring and the transfer of a AUD4 billion portfolio.

Jason Mendens advised Australian Mining Holdings on the sale of its interests in Syntech Resources to Yancoal Australia. Other significant work includes advising FLY Leasing, a leading aircraft leasing company based in Ireland, on its acquisition of a USD1.4 billion portfolio of aircraft.

The well-regarded Damian Reichel is appreciated by clients for being "particularly experienced, technically good and tenacious." His clients include CP2 and its acquisition vehicle Horizon Roads, for which he acted on the acquisition of ConnectEast Group by means of a trust scheme. The transaction had an overall value of AUD2.7 billion.

John Keeves, who heads the department, acts for a range of clients including Symbion, which is part of healthcare conglomerate The Zuellig Group, and Centro. In the latter case he acted for a number of Centro funds, including Centro Australia Wholesale Fund, on a stapling of several funds to form a new REIT. A source commented: "John was exceptional; he brought a very commercial view to the transaction and got the result we were striving for."

Stephen Walmsley has many years' experience in advising the boards of listed companies on all aspects of corporate governance issues and ASX regulations. He advised the Foster's Group on key corporate governance matters arising from the SABMiller takeover.

Tim Bowley continues to impress clients, who say: "He is an excellent drafter and is really nice to deal with." He counts Oceania Capital Partners, Brookfield Infrastructure Group and Teva amongst his clients, and has acted on a range of complex matters, such as post-takeover restructurings.

Byron Koster has extensive experience in M&A, schemes of arrangement and ASX listings. He has handled a number of large-scale transactions for corporates, banks and investment banks.

James Rozsa  continues to build a profile in this field, bringing not only M&A and funds experience to the table but also an investment banking background. He is dual-qualified in Australia and the USA, and his forte is cross-border activity, particularly in respect of the USA and Europe.

Shaun Clyne is sought out for his range of corporate and securities law experience together with regulatory compliance expertise. "He is that rare breed: both technically excellent and pragmatic in finding solutions to the various issues we face," said one interviewee.

Senior associate Ebony Keenan-Dunn acts on a range of corporate matters and is appreciated by clients for being "on top of things" and "always enthusiastic in getting work done."

Anthony Latimer, based in the firm's Sydney office, takes on corporate matters for both national and international clients, and in particular focuses his attention on cross-border deals relating to China and Papua New Guinea. He acts for governmental and non-governmental enterprises on projects and energy work.

Robert Milbourne has previously lived and worked in Brazil for a number of years and is well equipped to advise on Brazilian legal issues. He regularly assists high-profile clients on their mining projects and recently advised Brazilian steel company Vale on its investments in Asia. He has also worked and studied in China several times over a 20-year period, and has expertise in Chinese securities and corporate laws.

Rebecca Mohr has recently returned to Australia, having previously worked for five years in Indonesia as foreign legal counsel. She primarily handles mining issues for Australian and multinational companies, and recently acted for the vendors on the sale of an Indonesian gold mining project, a USD211 million deal.

Jonathan Wenig is highly valued for being "very responsive, commercial and solution seeking." Moreover, he is said to be "easy to work with." He acted for the Tishman Speyer Office Fund and continues to assist Nufarm, most recently on the acquisition of a US-based entity.

Jeremy Leibler is described as "very smart and astute," and lauded for his ability to "get things done quickly." He recently acted for the Grenda family on the sale of Grenda Transit Management to Ventura and the sale of a majority stake in Volgren to Marcopolo.  

James Lonie counts New York-based hedge fund Orange Capital amongst his clients, and recently acted for it on an investment in the Charter Hall Office REIT. He also advised ING Real Estate Investment Management on a number of divestments. "He knows the business well and helps us deal with risk," said one client, adding: "The meter doesn't run all the time when you pick up the phone; he values our relationship."

Robert Tracy leads the corporate/M&A group. Sources list his strengths as "considerable expertise in corporate law, prompt attention when required, clarity of advice, courtesy and common sense." His busy year included acting on substantial mandates for Vedanta Resources and JPMorgan Metals & Concentrates.

Over the past year, Peter Shaw advised Commercial Metals Company and CMC (Australia) on the acquisition and restructure of G.A.M. Steel. An appreciative client notes: "He is very commercial – he looks at the legal issues in line with what we want to achieve."

Ron Smooker joined the practice in 2011. He has many years' experience of corporate/M&A and financing matters, and counts Centro Retail Trust amongst his clients. He is, according to one source, "always available" and he has "the level of seniority and gravity to be able to advise us and the board."

Duncan Hall continues to act for a range of corporates. His recent highlights include advising LivingSocial on its acquisition of a controlling stake in Jump On It, a daily deals aggregator website.  

David Morris is the joint head of the Asia-Pacific corporate group. He has particular experience in cross-border transactions and led the Australian team advising Tenova on the acquisition of four Australian subsidiaries in the Bateman Group.

Sydney-based Ian Clarke has many years' experience of working in Papua New Guinea. Clients praise his "great ability to see the full picture and to provide advice in a broader context than the purely legal." They also value his "very specialised and in-depth knowledge of the PNG government."

Also based in Sydney, special counsel Geoffrey Applegate has been in practice for more than 40 years and has a particular focus on PNG matters. Clients praise him as "a very experienced practitioner," with one remarking: "His advice across the full range of matters is given quickly, concisely, and always accurately, and is uniformly excellent."

Sydney-based Lucinda Smith heads the corporate group, while Eugene Fung is a key contact at the Brisbane office. This firm has five offices across the country, including Adelaide, from where it acts for small to medium-sized enterprises. It recently advised Continuity Capital Partners on its secondary acquisition from UniSuper of interests in CHAMP Ventures and other major funds.

Mathias Berggren is noted by commentators for his strength in the oil sector. He is head of the firm's Australian desk, which offers particular expertise on corporate and media transactions.

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See above for editorial