The Legal 500

‘Strong in all regards,’ Allens Arthur Robinson leverages its strategic corporate relationships with blue-chip Australian companies and has been at the vanguard of the trend toward accelerated equity raisings, for example advising Wesfarmers when it tapped the market for A$2.6bn, then A$4.6bn. The ‘excellent’ Alex Ding and Robert Pick head the group. Tom Story is ‘responsive, thorough and practical’.

Freehills delivers ‘high-quality advice’ and offers ‘strength and depth of expertise’ across the capital markets spectrum, arguably fielding ‘more high-quality partners across a wider number of areas’ than its competitors. Leading lawyers include Philippa Stone and the ‘capable and productive’ Rebecca Maslen-Stannage. The firm advised CBA in two accelerated institutional placements, one for A$2bn.

Th ‘business acumen and industry knowledge’ at Mallesons Stephen Jaques is the ‘best around’, say some clients. It advised NAB on a $3bn capital raising, and counselled the major Australian banks on the Australian government’s guarantee scheme during the financial crisis and its application to existing debt programmes. ‘Leading lawyers’ Greg Hammond and Ian Patterson are recommended for debt advice; equity specialist David Friedlander is a ‘tier-one capital expert’.

Blake Dawson delivers ‘wise counsel’ across the capital markets disciplines, leaving clients ‘very impressed’. The ‘outstanding’ Sarah Dulhunty heads an equity team that includes Elspeth Arnold, who advised ANZ on a A$2.85bn equity raising, including institutional and retail shareholder tranches. Paul Jenkins’ debt team acted for Coca-Cola on updating its $2bn EMTN programme.

Clayton Utz is a favourite among Australia’s authorised deposit taking institutions and debt issuers, with clients including Macquarie Group, AMP Bank, NAB, CBA and Suncorp-Metway. Grant Fuzi heads the debt practice, while on the equity side Brendan Groves, James Greg and Stuart Byrne are recommended. Described by some clients as ‘second to none’, the firm is praised for having ‘a team with a great mix of experience among its partners and very switched-on junior lawyers that go the extra mile’.

John Steven and Bart Oude-Vrielink at Minter Ellison provide ‘outstanding strategic and commercial advice’, and recently advised Mirvac Group on its A$500m equity raising. The debt practice is a regular resource for major corporations, and represented Nestlé in amending its €8bn commercial paper programme. Ralph Ayling and John Elias are recommended.

Andrew Rilley makes good use of Baker & McKenzie’s international network when assisting Australian and New Zealand corporations in foreign debt markets, particularly in the US. On the equity side, Frank Castiglia facilitates top and mid-tier equity placements, including advice to the joint lead managers on CBA’s A$2bn placement to fund its acquisition of BankWest.

Chang, Pistilli & Simmons acts for blue-chip clients such as ABN AMRO and Investec, with the firm having advised ABN AMRO in its role as underwriter, lead manager and arranger on numerous IPOs, including that of PR Australia. Danny Simmons, Lance Sacks, Diana Chang and Kevin Lewis ‘respond to instructions expeditiously’.

John Slattery’s team at Corrs Chambers Westgarth advises on innovative ECM transactions. Teresa Handicott led a team advising Suncorp-Metway on its A$1bn accelerated offering, the first institution to take advantage of these fresh rules. The firm also advised a consortium on a A$1.2bn IPO, the largest of 2008.

Deacons’ highly regarded mid-cap practice was propelled to prominence during boom times, and is among the market leaders by volume of IPOs. Recent highlights included advising on the first successful compliance listing of a Philippine company on the ASX, and guiding Trevo Leisure to market in the first IPO of 2009. Michael Wilton heads the practice.

Gilbert + Tobin’s capital markets credentials improved with the recruitment of debt team leader John Schembri and ECM-focused Janine Ryan from Freehills. The debt practice won new business from BNY Mellon, while ECM head John Williamson-Noble advised Westpac on a A$900m tier one hybrid offering.

Arnold Bloch Leibler’s Jonathan Wenig leads an equity practice that advised Macquarie Capital Advisors as equity underwriter to the BrisConnect Consortium regarding a successful $4.9bn bid on the Brisbane Airport Link. Mid-market deals included a A$300m equity raising for Nufarm Australia.

Atanaskovic Hartnell acts on new capital issues and floats following take-overs, and advises investment banks such as Credit Suisse. Name partner Tony Hartnell and new partner Paul Miller are the points of contact.

Blakiston & Crabb’s reputation emerged from Australia’s ever-busy energy and resources market. It advised on an impressive volume of floats for clients such as Alara Uranium.

DLA Phillips Fox produces an ‘exceptionally high’ standard of work. It has advised on sub-A$200m rights issues in Australia and New Zealand for clients including Ceramic Fuel 
Cells, Empowernet International, Geodynamics, and Nuplex Industries. David Morris heads the team.

Henry Davis York works with hedge funds on raising capital. Past experience includes having advised the issuers of 14 of the OM-IP series of funds sponsored by Man Investments Australia, which raised A$1.3bn. Clients include Goodman and Eureka Funds Management.

Kelly & Co’s Andrew Corletto and Jamie Restas advise on small equity offerings for clients with interests in South Australia. The team represented Terramin Australia on placements of convertible notes and shares to raise $56m.

‘Outstanding’ McCullough Robertson is a leader in Queensland secondary capital raisings, and advised on deals such as the A$358m 
raising for PanAust. Reece Walker is of ‘significant value’.

Middletons’ recent experience included advising ING Real Estate Entertainment Fund on fund-raising facilities worth A$52m. Other clients include Archer Venture Capital. Andrew Gaffney is recommended.