Mark Standen
Consultant, Sydney
My deep experience in mergers and acquisitions has seen me focus on transactions and governance in the financial services industry and government sector.

I have acted for many of Australia's major insurers, reinsurers and brokers on landmark acquisitions, demutualisations and restructures and had the lead role in some of Australia's largest Court approved schemes for the transfer of insurance portfolios.

My other passion is for corporate governance. As the head of MinterEllison's Corporate HQ Advisory area, and as a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, I enjoy my work training clients on directors' duties and governance issues, especially as they affect banks, insurers and other regulated financial institutions, health and aged care organisations and educational institutions.  

Career highlights

  • Demutualisation and listing of AMP Limited
  • Sale by Aviva of CGU to IAG
  • Purchase by IAG of Wesfarmers insurance business in Australia and New Zealand
  • Acquisition by Medibank of health insurer ahm (scheme and demutualisation)
  • Advising ASIC on transfer of market supervision responsibility from ASX
  • Advising EnergyAustralia on the NSW Government's retail electricity disposal project
  • Purchase by Zurich of the Macquarie life business
  • Numerous Part 9 life insurance portfolio transfers for insurers including AMP, Zurich and AXA
  • Numerous Division 3A general insurance portfolio transfers for insurers including Suncorp, QBE and IAG
  • Leading the legislative and regulatory work streams for the highly successful privatisations of ports in NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory
  • Acquisition by Retirement Villages Group of Zig Inge retirement village portfolio in Australia and NZ