MinterEllison is an Australian-based law, consulting and project management firm founded in 1827. Itis the largest in Australia with 1200 legal staff including 270 partners across 15 offices in five countries. In Australia the firm has offices in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Darwin, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide.The firm also has a relationship with MinterEllisonRuddWatts based in New Zealand.

Focusses / specialisms 

The firm is full service but also offers consultancy services in technology, infrastructure and risk. It is best known in the Australian legal market for its market leading restructuring and insolvency practice, but it is also a solid choice of counsel for M&A, private equity, capital markets and banking and project finance matters.

Key clients 

Key clients of the firm include ANZ, Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs, Macquarie, BlackRock, Qantas, Qualitas, Quadrant Private Equity, Vanguard, Rolls Royce, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Avolon, Salter Brothers, and National Australia Bank.

Research period review: 32^nd edition (2022/2023)     

During the research period, the firm has been active in banking, capital markets, M&A, private equity, project finance, and restructuring work.

The firm’s banking practice was strong in advising acquisition and asset financing transactions for banks, borrowers, private equity sponsors, and non-bank lenders while the financial services regulatory team continues to advise local financial services institutions on all significant pieces of legislation.

The capital markets practice of the firm was very active advising on IPOs, block trades, and capital raisings mainly for issuers and shareholders.

The corporate team kept busy advising on acquisitions, private equity, spin-offs and demergers, divestments, joint ventures and strategic alliances from both buy and sell sides.

In the investment fund area, the firm kept busy advising on fund formation, fundraising, distribution, investor disclosure, and addressing regulatory requirements for clients in Australia, the Netherlands, the US, New Zealand, and Singapore.

The firm’s well-known restructuring team was preoccupied with insolvency proceedings, liquidations, corporate restructuring, and providing regulatory advice to insolvency administrators.

The firm strengthened its team by promoting four new partners including two new restructuring and insolvency partners Catherine Macrae and David Suttner along with M&A partners Sudharshan Senathirajah and Mellissa Lai. The banking and finance team also brought in partner Amela Mcpherson from Westpac Banking Corporation.

M&A partner Gary Goldman retired from the firm in 2021.

Deal highlights: 32^nd edition (2022/2023)   

Blackstone AU$2.7 billion syndicated financing

Qualitas ASX IPO

Amplifon AU$550 million acquisition of Bay Audiology

Gowri to Kagaru Inland Rail PPP (G2K Projects)

Speedcast International Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Client Feedback: 32nd edition (2021/2022)

Asset Finance

"Commercial, timely, professional and knowledgeable."

Banking & Finance

"Clear and strategic thinkers, clear and accessible communicators, strong industry and sector experience, deep technical knowledge and pragmatic results-orientated approach."

"Market leading advice to corporate trustees. Deep knowledge of the Australian market, pragmatic advice, ability to work pragmatically with all stakeholders/legal firms to ensure a smooth deal execution. "

"Provided detailed advice on all legal aspects of the trade and strongly supported the preparation and reviews of subsequent rounds of documentation."

"Flexibility, thoroughness, grasp of legal and commercial concepts."

"Speedy turnaround, access to professionals, advice on protecting our risks and commercial approach."

Capital Market

"Extremely knowledgeable, easy to deal with, commercially minded, problem-solving mindset."

"Very timely, cost-effective advice."

Financial services and regulatory

"Not afraid to think out of the box and to problem solve. Great understanding of the legal issues set within the commercial context. hardworking. Always warm to deal with. Always get successful outcomes. Significant commitment to pro bono and community work. Impressive."

"Proactive and comprehensive."

"The firm has a deep industry understanding across insurance and financial services. It has excellent experience dealing with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, to help us work out how best to engage the regulator. They supported us with very tight turnarounds and were very flexible."

"Very responsive, have a good working knowledge of matters and how the regulator approaches matters."

"Easy to work with. Partners are accessible, and they know our business. Cost-effective. Have the relevant expertise."

Insolvency

"Able to bring the whole of its firm to solve the issues facing the liquidators, including insolvency, tax, property and construction law. This was done in a seamless and timely manner."

"Extremely timely and commercially oriented advice. Excellent value for money."

"Responsiveness. Understanding our business. Commercial."

"Strong team depth from partner down."

"Very commercial, willing to deal direct with recipient and cut through largesse of repeated correspondence, technically adept."

"Extremely thorough and assured."

"Pragmatic and commercial. Concise. Relevant. Properly resourced."

"Proactive and timely advice. Efficient and effective advice. Able to quickly cut through to a strategic solution."

"Thoroughly commercial, clear and pragmatic communicators, deep sector experience and technical excellence, superior legal project management and coordination."

Investment funds

"Commercial and technically excellent advice.”

"Commercial and technically sound legal advice. Proactive. Willing to offer alternative fee arrangements."

M&A

"Great client service. Excellence in their legal advisory expertise."

"Great insights and experience, negotiation with other party, advice and counsel."

"Knowledgeable, commercial, credible and market-focused."

"Strong technical proficiency and experience."

"They were extremely useful in providing great advice as well as ensuring the other side did not hide clauses throughout the agreed documents. The work they did in the background allowed the owners of the business to continue running the business, whilst important updates and key decisions were quickly raised and addressed. They understood our non-negotiable terms and were clear in ensuring that these terms were agreed."

"Technically strong."

Project Finance

"Minters did well in adapting the brief that they received from government, which did not acknowledge the complexity of the transaction. This resulted in a better client outcome. They helped guide the commonwealth through the entire process giving appropriate comparisons with the private sector and state governments on various positions. Took leadership in managing the other law firms for the various parties involved in the transaction and appropriately managed the documentation process."

Restructuring

"Proactive. Considered. Professional."

"Excellent advice and written correspondence with the regulator."

Brendon Watkins

"He is a highly regarded 'legend' of the insolvency industry in Australia. He is a highly technical insolvency lawyer who uses his significant experience to foresee issues and put in place measures to deal with those issues before they manifest into greater problems. He is excellent to work with, and I am pleased to have him on my side of the table."

"Keen intellect. Problem solving."

Bart Oude-Vrielink

"Excellent skills, very knowledgeable, highly rated and regarded."

"Technical skills and responsiveness."

Caitlin Murray

"Clear and strategic thinker, superior team and legal project management, pragmatic and results-oriented, accessible."

"A leading female lawyer in a very male-dominated sector of the legal profession. Can stand toe to toe with any practitioner."

"Clear thinker and communicator, strong technical expertise, superior team and project management, accessible."

Darren Sumich

"Very knowledgeable on structured asset finance matters. Generally available and timely in response, if not. Value for money. Commercial in resolving matters. Enjoyable to work with."

David Suttner

"Technically strong, very commercial and economical."

"Pragmatic, commercial and a great communicator."

David O'Brien

"Understanding of complex issues and responsiveness."

Ian Lockhart

"His depth of knowledge, his consideration of our needs and capabilities, his commercial acumen, his integrity."

John Elias

"Strong communication, acumen and knowledge of our business and its requirements as well as the financial structures themselves."

"Extremely strong understanding of the local securitization market, documentation and corporate trustee sensitivities. Very strong at helping to navigate new or bespoke issues. Gets along with, and is respected by, other legal stakeholders."

Joseph Pace

"Always on call, highly motivated great legal mind."

Jeremy Blackshaw

"Great client engagement. Takes a highly commercial approach."

Nick Broome

"Commercially minded, problem solver, industry knowledge."

"Knowledgeable, experienced, commercial, calm, authoritative, credible and focused."

Nick Kipriotis

"He was always contactable and would be ensuring that the agreed deadlines were being met. He kept his team and the opposing team on track and ensured that the deal would not be delayed. He is extremely knowledgeable about the sector and gave us insights into all the 'tricks' the opposing party would try and add into the documents. He is relentless in ensuring that his client gets all of the key points."

Glen Ward

"Proactive, considered and knowledgeable."

Geoff Earl

"Commercial approach. Willing to listen to feedback. Gets things done."

Michael Lawson

"Very professional and always accommodates requests."

Michael Vickery

"He is very accessible, an excellent communicator, provides clear and commercially oriented advice and has a strong team. He is a well-respected specialist in the insolvency field."

"Efficiency. Strategic thinking. Value for money."

Peter Block

"Peter is very good at solving problems and getting things done. He has appropriately advised the commonwealth on the risks involved in getting into various situations as part of this transaction. He provided very practical advice to a very 'green' client doing its first transaction."

Richard Batten

"He is very practical and pragmatic, alongside deep expertise."

"Top of his game. Very innovative. Problem solver. Likes a challenge."

Shaun Clyne

"Very knowledgeable. Excellent communicator. High-quality work."

Tze Ting Liew

"Commercial and technically sound lawyer. Broad funds experience."

"Innovative solutions. Excellent legal advice. Sound commercial and operational knowledge to supplement legal advice. Good communicator."