QANTM shareholders will own 55% and Xenith shareholders 45% of the merged entity, with the merged entity having an enterprise value of approximately $300 million.

The merged entity will have a portfolio of industry leading, independent IP services practices with over 341 professionals in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. It will create an Australian market leader in the areas of patents, trade marks and registered designs.

The merger will be implemented through a Xenith Scheme of Arrangement which is expected complete in April 2019, with Xenith shareholders to receive 1.22 QANTM shares for each Xenith share held.

"We worked with the QANTM team to deliver on their goal to merge with a strategically and culturally aligned group of intellectual property services businesses and create an IP market leader in Australia," said Nick Broome, MinterEllison's lead Partner. "The merger of two complementary ASX listed intellectual property firms will create shareholder value for both sets of shareholders."

MinterEllison drafted the Scheme Implementation Deed which met the needs of both parties and reflected the concept of a merger of equals. The firm also assisted the Board of QIP to assess a non binding indicative competing proposal from IPH Limited, currently the largest intellectual property services business in Australia.

The parties are proposing to seek ACCC informal clearance for their merger which MinterEllison is also advising on.

The MinterEllison team was led by Nick Broome (Partner). He was supported by Geoff Carter (Partner), Sudharshan Senathirajah (Special Counsel), Keith Tan (Special Counsel), Tom Faulls (Senior Associate), Mark Simkiss (Lawyer) and Isobel Conroy-Ryan (Lawyer).