Australasian Lawyer reveals the leading candidates across 32 categories
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.
