2023 Australasian Law Awards: Excellence awardees unveiled

Australasian Lawyer reveals the leading candidates across 32 categories

2023 Australasian Law Awards: Excellence awardees unveiled

The excellence awardees for the 2023 Australasian Law Awards have been revealed.

The awards recognise the best of the best in the Australasian legal market across 32 categories. Australasian Lawyer spotlights the achievers and achievements of law firms, in-house legal teams, lawyers, arbitrators, mediators and service providers.

DEAL AWARDS 

Debt Market Deal of the Year  

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group issue of ANZ Capital Notes 7 

Lead firms: Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons

CSL Finance US$4 billion senior bond issue 

Lead firms: Allen & Overy, Allens, Sidley Austin  

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): ANZ Securities, BofA Securities, Citigroup, Ernst & Young Australia, Ernst & Young Switzerland, Herbert Smith Freehills, HSBC, J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo Securities, Westpac Banking Corporation

EQT acquisition of Icon Group 

Lead firms: Baker McKenzie, Cahill Gordon & Reindel, Herbert Smith Freehills

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons, Latham & Watkins

Qualitas $A600 million funding package 

Lead firm: Maddocks

Refinancing of Reliance Rail with $1.8 billion, 21-year Green Sustainability-Linked Loan 

Lead firm: King & Wood Mallesons

Equity Market Deal of the Year 

A$650 million placement of Orica shares 

Lead firm: Allen & Overy, Gilbert + Tobin

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Citigroup Global Markets Australia, J.P. Morgan Securities Australia, Sidley Austin 

Air New Zealand Limited renounceable rights issue 

Lead firm: Bell Gully, Herbert Smith Freehills 

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Allen & Overy, Citigroup Global Markets, Forsyth Barr, Russell McVeagh , Sidley Austin, UBS New Zealand

All-stock merger of BHP Petroleum business with Woodside Energy Group 

Lead firms: Herbert Smith Freehills, Sullivan & Cromwell 

Atlas Arteria’s A$3.1 billion non-renounceable entitlement issue 

Lead firm: Gilbert + Tobin 

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons 

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group A$3.5 billion equity raise 

Lead firms: Allens, King & Wood Mallesons, Sullivan & Cromwell 

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): KPMG, Macquarie Capital, UBS Securities Australia

Infrastructure and Projects Deal of the Year              

Lendlease Building Contractors refurbishment of Frankston Hospital campus     

Lead firm: King & Wood Mallesons         

METRONET's Byford Rail extension and Victoria Park–Canning level crossing removal   

Lead firm: Ashurst          

 OMERS Infrastructure acquisition of TPG Telecom’s mobile tower assets               

Lead firm: Baker McKenzie         

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Allens, Herbert Smith Freehills               

 VicRoads Modernisation Project                

Lead firm: MinterEllison              

 Western Harbour Tunnel project              

Lead form: Ashurst         

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Ernst & Young, Lander & Rogers, MinterEllison, Valorem  

  Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year              

Administration of Probuild and its WBHO Infrastructure division              

Lead firms: Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons        

APA Group acquisition of Basslink            

Lead firms: Ashurst, Gilbert + Tobin, Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons   

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Allens, Clayton Utz, Ernst & Young, FTI Consulting, Herbert Smith Freehills, Houlihan Lokey, Korda Mentha, PwC, White & Case 

 Ironbridge Legal restructures mining assets of Australian company in multi-jurisdictional deal

Lead firm: Ironbridge Legal 

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Bailey & Glasser, FTI Consulting, Frost Brown Todd, Hamilton Locke 

Restructuring of Camp Australia              

Lead firms: Clayton Utz, Gilbert + Tobin, Herbert Smith Freehills 

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Ashurst, Ernst & Young, Faraday Associates, FTI Consulting, Greenmount Capital, Jones Day, McGrathNicol, PwC, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, Rothschild & Co            

 Restructuring of Collection House            

Lead firms: Allen & Overy, Clayton Utz  

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Allens, Bell Gully, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, FTI Consulting, Westpac Banking Corporation         

 M&A Deal of the Year  

Blackstone acquisition of Crown Resorts               

Lead firm: Clayton Utz, Herbert Smith Freehills

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Allen & Overy, Gilbert + Tobin, Gresham Partners, Morgan Stanley, UBS 

 Block Inc. acquisition of Afterpay              

Lead firm: Gilbert + Tobin, King & Wood Mallesons         

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Jones Day

 Brookfield Infrastructure acquisition of AusNet Services                

Lead firm: Herbert Smith Freehills         

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Adara Partners, Allen & Overy, Allens, Aquasia, Bank of America, Barrenjoey, Citi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, KWM, Morgan Stanley   

 Sale of Axicom to Australia Tower Network          

Lead firm: Gilbert + Tobin           

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Allens, Allen & Overy, Jefferies, Macquarie Capital        

 Sandfire Resources acquisition of MATSA mining complex 

Lead firm: Allen & Overy             

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Ashurst, BMO, BurnVoir Corporate Finance, Citi, Clifford Chance, Ernst & Young, Gilbert + Tobin, Macquarie Capital, PwC, UBS   

 Sydney Airport acquisition by Sydney Aviation Alliance  

Lead firms: Allens, Herbert Smith Freehills        

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Barrenjoey Capital Partners, Gilbert + Tobin, Global Infrastructure Partners, Goldman Sachs & Co, IFM Australian Infrastructure Fund, IFM Global Infrastructure Fund, KPMG, Macquarie Group, PwC, UBS Investment Bank  

 Mid-Market Deal of the Year  

Acquisition of Crestone Wealth Management by LGT Group         

Lead firm: Allens             

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Corrs Chambers Westgarth, JP Morgan, Luminis Partners, PwC 

 Adamantem Capital acquisition of GenesisCare's cardiology businesses   

Lead firms: Gilbert + Tobin, Herbert Smith Freehills    

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Herbert Smith Freehills     

 Anchorage Partners sale of Rail First Asset Management to consortium  

Lead firm: Gilbert + Tobin           

 Ganfeng joint venture with Leo Lithium and investment into Goulamina Lithium project                

Lead firm: Dentons         

 Thiess takeover of MACA Limited 

Lead firm: Squire Patton Boggs

All other Organisations that worked on the deal (Firms, Banks and Accountants): Allen & Overy, Ernst & Young, Lisle Group, Macquarie Capital, MinterEllison, PwC 

 IN-HOUSE AWARDS  

Banking & Financial Services In-House Team of the Year  

IFM Investors
Judo Bank Legal Team

UBS AG, Australia Branch             

Insurance In-house Team of the Year  

AIA Australia Legal Team
The Steadfast Group Legal Team 

  Young In-House Lawyer of the Year (35 or under) 

Candice Gin, The Adecco Group
Charlotte Olsen, National Rugby League

Eleanor Wheelhouse, TPG Telecom 
Joshua Goldsmith, Computershare
Karthik Maganty, Deloitte Asia Pacific
Shaniya Vilash, Daimler Truck Australia Pacific
William Daymond, Galderma  

 Australian In-house Lawyer of the Year  

Adam Lister, ASM Global (Asia Pacific)
Janelle Cain, EBOS Group

Kate Draper, Moreton Bay Regional Council
Marnie Manning, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (former)
Michael Guilday, Sydney Fish Market
Rama Lingard, Mastercard 

  Clayton Utz Australian In-house Team of the Year  

Ahpra National Legal Practice
Amcor Flexibles Asia Pacific 

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Legal Team
Fujitsu Australia Legal and Compliance Team
Mastercard Australia Legal Team
Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC) Legal, NSW Treasury
Partners in Performance 

Sponsored by CLAYTON UTZ

NZ In-house Team of the Year  

AIA NZ
Fonterra Legal Team 
Spark NZ's legal team

UBS NZ

INDUSTRY AWARDS 

Resolution Institute Australian Arbitrator of the Year  

Judith Levine, Levine Arbitration
Robert Heath KC FCIArb, Victorian Bar RA Holt KC FCIArb, Alfred Lutwyche Chambers

Russell Thirgood, Independent Arbitrator
Steven Goldstein, Edmund Barton Chambers
Toby Shnookal QC, Independent Arbitrator

Sponsored by RESOLUTION INSTITUTE

  

Resolution Institute Australian Mediator of the Year  

Anne-Marie Cade, Divorce Right
Lisanne Iriks, Life Mediation

Nicole Davidson, Nicole Davidson Negotiation 
Shelby Timmins, Divorce Done Differently

Sponsored by RESOLUTION INSTITUTE

 

Legal Service Provider of the Year  

Coaching Advocates
Lawcadia

Lawganised 
LOD
PwC NewLaw
Thomson Reuters 
TransPerfect Legal Solutions

FIRM AWARDS 

NZ Deal Firm of the Year  

Bell Gully 
Chapman Tripp

MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Russell McVeagh
Simpson Grierson
Webb Henderson

Australian Dealmaker of the Year  

Con Boulougouris, MinterEllison
Neil Pathak, Gilbert + Tobin
Ron Smooker, Maddocks

Sandy Mak, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Sarah Yu, King & Wood Mallesons
Tom Story, Allens
Tony Damian, Herbert Smith Freehills
Waldo D. Jones, Jr., Sullivan & Cromwell  

NZ Dealmaker of the Year 

Anna Buchly, Bell Gully 
Dan Jones, Russell McVeagh

Graeme Quigley, Webb Henderson
John Conlan, MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Michal Pollard, Simpson Grierson
Roger Wallis, Chapman Tripp

Excellence in Employee Health & Wellbeing  

Baker McKenzie, BakerWellbeing Committee
Brave Legal

Hall & Wilcox
Herbert Smith Freehills
Pragma Lawyers

Excellence in Technology & Innovation  

Allens
Clayton Utz

Gilbert + Tobin
Hall & Wilcox

Herbert Smith Freehills
K&L Gates

Sprintlaw

Employment Law Specialist Firm of the Year  

Aitken Legal
Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors

Danny King Legal
Harmers Workplace Lawyers
Jewell Hancock Employment Lawyers
Workdynamic Australia

Insurance Specialist Firm of the Year  

Barry Nilsson
Gilchrist Connell

Meridian Lawyers
Moray & Agnew Lawyers
Sparke Helmore Lawyers
William Roberts Lawyers

Boutique Firm of the Year  

Advantage Legal 
Aspect Legal

Ironbridge Legal
KLM Solicitors 
NDA Law
Phi Finney McDonald
Quantum Law Group

Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year (35 or under)  

Emily Barrett, Johnson Winter Slattery 
Huiming Lin, AusLaw Partners
Justine Tao Zhou, Quantum Law Group
Katalin Lello, Lander & Rogers

Lauren John, Allens
Tom Henderson, Baker McKenzie
Zefy Souvlakis, Ethos Migration Lawyers

Law Firm Leader of the Year (1-100 Employees) 

Aleisha MacKenzie, Construct Law Group 
Amanda Banton, Banton Group

Danielle Snell, Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell 
Demetrio Zema, Law Squared
Trevor Withane, Ironbridge Legal
Keith Redenbach, Redenbach Legal  

 Law Firm Leader of the Year (101-500 Employees) 

Jason Denisenko, Allen & Overy
Kieren Parker, Addisons
Levent Shevki, Cornwalls
Mark Pistilli, Gadens
Paul Hopkins, Carter Newell Lawyers

Stipe Vuleta, Chamberlains Law Firm 

Law Firm Leader of the Year (>500 Employees) 

Anthony Foley, Baker McKenzie
Danny Gilbert, Gilbert + Tobin
David Newman, Maddocks 
Doug Stipanicev, Dentons
Paul Jenkins, Ashurst  

 State/Regional Firm of the Tear  

HHG Legal Group
New South Lawyers

Redenbach Legal
Southern Waters Legal
Thynne + Macartney  

  Law Firm of the Year (1-100 Lawyers) 

Aston Legal Group
Australian Family Lawyers

Carter Newell Lawyers 
Cooper Grace Ward 
Holman Webb Lawyers
LegalVision  

  Law Firm of the Year (101-500 lawyers)  

Chamberlains Law Firm 
Hamilton Locke
Lander & Rogers

Macpherson Kelley
Turks

 Law Firm of the Year (>500 lawyers)  

Allens
Ashurst
Baker McKenzie
Clayton Utz

Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Gilbert + Tobin
Herbert Smith Freehills
King & Wood Mallesons  

Diversity Initiative of the Year  

Allens
Bird & Bird 

Clayton Utz
Dentons
Dowson Turco Lawyers
Hall & Wilcox
Harmers Workplace Lawyers 

The winners will be announced at a gala taking place at the Fullerton Hotel in Sydney on 18 May.

The list of excellence awardees can also be found here.

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