The award acknowledges MinterEllison's market-leading position in the M&A sector, highlighting some of the significant and high-profile transactions in the consumer and retail sector the team has advised on, including:

• L'Oréal's A$3.7 billion acquisition of Aēsop – Louella Stone and Siobhan Doherty led the Australian team supporting the Latham & Watkins deal team in Paris
• Helloworld's A$175 million acquisition of Express Travel Group and Phil Hoffman Travel - led by partner Bart Oude Vrielink
• Bevilles' sale to ASX listed Michael Hill for A$45 million – led by Ben Liu
• Queens Lane Capital's acquisition of Snooze (value undisclosed) – led by Matthew Hibbins

Now in its sixth year, the Mergermarket M&A awards recognise excellence in Australian transactions and the remarkable teamwork, innovative thinking and meticulous planning that drive these successful deals.