The Legal 500

Allens Arthur Robinson’s ‘first-class’ and ‘high-quality team’ has a ‘sound understanding of how banks think’. Its lawyers sit on all major local bank panels, including ANZ and Westpac, and global clients include Citigroup and major corporates. Recent highlights included acting for the steering committee of banks on the restructuring of Centro Property Group, and advising the Commonwealth government on a complex A$1.3bn securitisation programme designed to save local car dealerships. Sydney-based Richard Gordon and the ‘excellent’ Melbourne-based Simon Lynch, who is a ‘safe first point of contact on complex matters’, head the practice.

Freehills is ‘extremely valuable in negotiation’ and provides ‘excellent commercial input’ under leading light Patrick St John. Its healthy mix of bank and borrower clients includes Australia’s major banks, and this breadth has ensured continued buoyancy. The team represented the lead arrangers in one of 2008’s biggest acquisition finance deals - providing A$2.4bn in debt facilities to chemical manufacturer Incitec Pivot. John Angus continues to assist Virgin Blue on big-ticket aircraft finance transactions.

Mallesons Stephen Jaques provides ‘client-focused and helpful’ counsel across the banking disciplines, with clients lauding the ‘hands-on’ team’s ‘depth and knowledge’, its ‘ strong team of senior associates’ and ‘partner accessibility’. It is engaged by banks at a strategic level, corporate clients and the government, bringing to bear its English law capabilities and close relationships with increasingly active Asian banks. This team of ‘excellent practitioners’, headed by Martin James, assisted CHAMP Private Equity’s acquisition of Centric Wealth, and advised over 80 banks in restructuring PBL Media’s debt facilities.

Blake Dawson is regularly instructed on top-end corporate finance deals and displays ‘very good knowledge and understanding of current market conditions’. Leading lawyer John Field led the team advising BHP Billiton on the $55bn loan facility structured during the Rio Tinto bid. The firm also advised Bluescope Steel on a A$1.3bn syndicated loan facility, combined with a A$1.4bn capital raising. This ‘excellent’ team’s clients also include CBA, Coca-Cola, and securities regulator ASIC.

Clayton Utz’s team enjoys a reputation for ‘commercial acumen’ under the leadership of Grant Fuzi. Its lawyers sit on the panels of Australia’s four biggest banks, as well as those of leading international investment banks and blue-chip corporates. Among recent highlights, it acted for seven banks on financing the A$250m acquisition of MYOB by Archer Capital and Harbourvest Partners; Leighton Holdings also engaged the firm to arrange a syndicated facility.

Minter Ellison’s ‘strong team’ includes John Mosley, who advised a 29-bank syndicate in financing Primary Health Care’s A$2.5bn acquisition of Symbion Health, and Stewart Robertson, who represented a group of investment banks in restructuring A$700m debt facilities as part of PBL Media’s recapitalisation. The team’s corporate, property and structured finance expertise is augmented by leading insolvency credentials. The asset finance practice should benefit from a firm-wide appointment by Qantas.

Cross-border financing is a matter of routine for Baker & McKenzie, which augmented its practice by recruiting former Macquarie Bank executive director Nicholas Grambas in 2009. The team advised the joint lead managers on a A$2bn equity placement to finance CBA’s acquisition of BankWest and St Andrews Bank. It has niche expertise in climate work, including innovative structured carbon credit deals.

Patrick O’Grady heads the practice at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, where longstanding clients include CBA, GE, Suncorp-Metway and Westpac. Tim Barton played a crucial role in advising local and international banking syndicates during high-profile restructurings of Allco Finance Group and Centro Properties. The recruitment of Robert Ritchie from Clifford Chance in Hong Kong and Robert Drake, a former Macquarie Bank infrastructure financier, boosts the team’s project finance credentials.

Gilbert + Tobin reinforced its quality banking practice with the recruitment of partner John Schembri from Freehills, and special counsels Ros O’Mally and Caroline Power. Schembri made an immediate impact, advising a major Australian bank on a $35bn EMTN programme. Together, the team represented a syndicate in financing the acquisition of Cairns and Mackay airports by Hastings Funds Management and others.

Henry Davis York’s team is ‘sensible and commercial’, and houses the ‘derivatives expert’ John Currie, ‘banking all-rounder’ Simon McSweeney and insolvency heavyweight Roger Dobson. The firm’s premier insolvency practice makes it a first choice for banks in relation to large failures, such as ABC Learning and Allco Finance Group.

Arnold Bloch Leibler’s ‘partner-focused’ practice regularly advises note-holders and mezzanine and equity providers. Key partner Ben Mahoney has been active advising Bank of Scotland and Centro Properties in debt restructurings. Stephen Sharp heads the practice.

DLA Phillips Fox’s appointment to a reshuffled Westpac panel reflects growing recognition for this practice, headed by Bill Chapman. It is supported by strong funds and tax practices, and added insolvency expertise in the form of Scott Harris from Henry Davis York. This well-rounded team is advising on financing the Oakajee Port & Rail project.

Deacons houses ‘professional, knowledgeable, reliable, and client-focused’ banking lawyers, who offer ‘good value for money’. Clients include banks such as ANZ, HSBC and Macquarie Bank. Gillad Dalal is recommended, along with the ‘faultless’ Nino DiBarolomeo, who advised lead arrangers Bank of China and Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFG on a A$450m syndicated transaction with Telstra.

Gadens Lawyers offers ‘timely and professional’ advice, and is described as ‘one of the best for service and value for money’. Headed by Paul Armstrong, the practice is a quality alternative for deals up to A$500m. Its heavy focus on property finance included work for overseas borrowers on a syndicated loan facility of A$400m to acquire a 50% stake in a Westfield shopping centre.

Middletons consolidated its reputation for middle-market leveraged and acquisition finance, following partner-level lateral hires from Minter Ellison and Sparke Helmore in recent years. Jim Bulling heads the team, which represents clients including Rabobank and HBOS.

Elpis Korosidis at Melbourne-headquartered Cornwall Stodart offers a full range of banking and finance advice, but is particularly strong in securities law. Clients include Suncorp-Metway and Bendigo Bank.

John Brimacombe at Kelly & Co delivers ‘extremely sound service and knowledge’ and manages an ‘excellent’ team; turnaround times are ‘faster than the rest’ and legal costs ‘favourable’. The Adelaide firm competes at a national level, and has advised syndicates on A$1bn-plus transactions. The firm advised St George Bank on construction financing for an Osborne military facility.

Maddocks’ team is ‘top-notch, responsive and practical’. It has strong mid-market business finance credentials under Ian Beattie, particularly in acting for Melbourne banks, and a burgeoning corporate finance capability under the ‘excellent’ Sean Rush. It is developing an Islamic finance practice under Shahriar Mofakhami.

South Australian firm Piper Alderman focuses on project and corporate finance, as well as debt capital markets matters, for clients that include banking heavyweight CBA. Craig Wappett’s team delivers services at prices ‘less than the mega national firms, but with quality that is on par or better’.