The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Gilbert + Tobin is a second tier firm,

Gilbert + Tobin’s recently opened Melbourne office strengthened the firm’s national proposition, and houses Nicholas Grambas, an ‘acknowledged lead lawyer in the project and financing field’. Sydney-based practice head John Schembri, who has ‘strong business acumen and good industry knowledge’, led the team in advising Carlyle and TPG Capital on all the debt financing aspects of their A$2.7bn acquisition of Healthscope. More recently the team advised CBA as financier on the A$5bn Pepper Australia residential mortgage portfolio acquisition. ANZ, Westpac, Goldman Sachs and Citibank Group are also clients.

Within Capital markets, Gilbert + Tobin is a third tier firm,

Gilbert + Tobin added new clients such as Sundance Resources, Marengo Mining and Aurora Oil & Gas to its client base (which already included BNY Mellon, Telstra and NAB) following the integration with Perth-based Blakiston & Crabb. ‘Up-and-comer’ Rachael Bassil made partner in July 2011; she works closely with the highly rated Peter Cook. Duncan McGrath and Marcello Cardaci are also recommended. McGrath led advice to ANZ and Westpac as arrangers and lead managers on Australia Pacific Airports’ A$350m fixed rate medium term issuance.

Within Competition and trade, Gilbert + Tobin is a first tier firm,

Gilbert + Tobin’s competition team has ‘deep strength at all levels’ and continues to provide merger clearance advice of the ‘highest quality’. 2010 saw the group advise five large Japanese steelmakers on the proposed joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, and advise Telstra on negotiations with the ACCC regarding the NBN project. Luke Woodward is in a ‘league of his own’, and Gina Cass-Gottlieb is an ‘outstanding competition lawyer’ who ‘quickly grasps the nuances of the key issues’.

Within Construction, tier 4

Emanuel Confos heads the practice at Gilbert + Tobin, which specialises in the construction of renewable energy plants and technology centres. The team is praised for its ‘communication of complex legal matters in an easily comprehensible manner’, and recently advised a bidder in relation to the Solar Flagship Program.

Within Corporate and M&A, Gilbert + Tobin is a second tier firm,

Gilbert + Tobin provides ‘creative commercially focused solutions’. The firm strengthened its Melbourne presence with the recruitment of Neil Pathak from Freehills. Tony Bancroft, formerly of Mallesons Stephen Jaques, is another strategic addition. Highlights included advising Blackstone on its $9.4bn acquisition of Centro Group’s US assets and platform. Andrew Bullock is ‘first class’.

Within Dispute resolution, tier 4

Gilbert + Tobin’s absorption of Blakiston & Crabb brought some well-regarded practitioners to the firm. Blakiston & Crabb’s former head of dispute resolution Mark Gerus is recommended for his ‘breadth and depth of knowledge’, and new partner Tim O’Leary is ‘extremely professional and efficient’. The team is defending Google in an action brought by the ACCC regarding its sponsored links AdWords system.

Within Employment, Gilbert + Tobin is a third tier firm,

Dianne Banks’ ‘practical approach’ and ‘great relationship skills’ make her an ‘absolute standout’ in the team at Gilbert + Tobin. The group recently acted for Westpac on sourcing of a loan-processing centre and handled employee matters relating to the NSW government’s sale of WSN Environmental Solutions.

Within Energy and resources, Gilbert + Tobin is a third tier firm,

There is no doubt that Blakiston & Crabb’s integration with Gilbert + Tobin has strengthened the firm’s capabilities in the energy and resource space, particularly in mining. Recent highlights include advising Riversdale Mining on Rio Tinto’s $3.9bn bid for the company and acting for ASX-listed Sundance Resources with regards to its Mbalam project in the Republic of Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. Michael Blakiston is highly regarded.

Within Intellectual property, Gilbert + Tobin is a first tier firm,

Gilbert + Tobin has branched out from its traditional strength acting for media and entertainment clients, and now acts for clients from a much broader sector base. It is defending Energizer in its Australia Schick razor brand advertising in the Federal Court; and advising Red Bull generally on domain name recovery and enforcement activities against counterfeit goods. Samsung is another client. Michael Williams, Siabon Seet and Lisa Lennon are recommended.

Within Legal market overview,

The maturity of Australia’s legal market has seen a number of very strong mid-tier firms fighting for market share, providing ‘City-quality work at competitive prices’. This has seen major instructions going to high-quality regional firms such as Brisbane-based McCullough Robertson. Another recent trend has been “the rise of the boutiques”, and it was interesting to note Clifford Chance’s decision to absorb two reputable boutique firms (Chang Pistilli & Simmons, and Cochrane Lishman Carson Luscombe) rather than attempt a tie-up with one of the full-service national players. Another notable move was Gilbert + Tobin’s absorption of Perth-based Blakiston & Crabb, which brought to the fold its strong focus on energy.

Within Projects and infrastructure, Gilbert + Tobin is a third tier firm,

Gilbert + Tobin shows ‘business acumen’ and ‘industry knowledge’ in its advice to public bodies, large energy companies and domestic financiers on pan-Australian projects. The team recently advised ABN AMRO on a large rail PPP. Nicholas Grambas is a ‘leading lawyer in the project financing and infrastructure field’, and clients also recommend John Schembri.

Within Real estate, tier 4

Gilbert + Tobin’s clients include developers, owners, investors as well as local government bodies. Recent highlights include advising GrainCorp on property issues relating to the company’s acquisition of the United Malt Holdings Group. Amanda Hempel and Diane Skapinker are recommended.

Within Restructuring and insolvency, Gilbert + Tobin is a third tier firm,

Gilbert + Tobin leans toward front-end banking rather than insolvency work, but has been involved in key deals linked to prominent administrations and restructuring. Andrew Bullock represented Pacific Equity Partners as a shareholder in Redgroup, and Peter Cook recently advised Blackstone on the purchase of Centro Group’s US assets. John Schembri heads the team.

Within TMT, Gilbert + Tobin is a first tier firm,

‘Tech specialist’ Gilbert + Tobin is a ‘long-time market leader’, and has a substantial client base of blue-chip companies and government departments. The ‘excellent’ Peter Leonard recently advised AUSTAR on selling its spectrum holdings to NBN Co. Peter Waters remains Telstra’s lead adviser on the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN), and Shelia McGregor is highly regarded for her expertise in transformation projects. Bill Spain heads the group.