James Philips |Partner

James’ high level corporate advisory spans corporate governance, directors’ duties, and Corporations Act advice. The head of Sydney’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, James also provides leading advice on strategic transactions, securities law, capital markets and management, and foreign investment approvals.

James is a major player in mergers and acquisitions and high level corporate advice across the dynamic energy and resources sector. He heads Sydney’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, with transactions valued at more than $100 billion to his name.

The head of our Mergers and Acquisitions group in Sydney, James has extensive experience in equity capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, secondary raisings and underwritings, as well as hybrids and capital management.

One of Australia’s leading mergers and acquisitions lawyers and head of Sydney’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, James has substantial expertise in foreign investment. He has published on Australia's foreign investment regulation, and teaches on the topic insofar as it applies to mining assets. James is active in the firm’s PRC business, focusing on Chinese inbound direct investment to Australia. He has advised foreign Governments on Australia's foreign investment regime, and assisted with submissions to a foreign Government on proposed changes to its foreign investment laws.

The head of Sydney’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, James is a long-standing advisor to Government on major infrastructure and development projects. He has extensive experience in the privatisation of government enterprises, the acquisition and disposal of government interest in assets as well as probity and compliance issues.

The head of Sydney’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, James has extensive experience in the acquisition and disposal of major infrastructure assets both in Australia and overseas. Recent projects included advising AGL on its bids in the privatisation process for the New South Wales state owned electricity assets, and advising the Chinese SOE Tai Yuan Machinery on its acquisition of the Australian coal mining equipment supplier Valley Longwall International.

James is a major player in mergers and acquisitions and high level corporate advice across the dynamic energy and resources sector. He heads Sydney’s Mergers and Acquisitions group, with transactions valued at more than $100 billion to his name.

A skilled tactician and negotiator, James is well known for his major cross-border resources deals and joint venture expertise, as well as his leading role in recommended and hostile takeover bids, schemes of arrangement, public to privates, redomiciles and privatisations. James also provides strategic advice on corporate governance, directors’ duties and foreign investment approvals.