I enjoy providing constructive advice to help clients cut through complexity, resolve impasses and achieve successful outcomes across a broad cross-section of industries. Clients appreciate my responsiveness, together with my proactive, commercial approach to negotiations. A key priority is to deliver my advice in a commercially pragmatic way, taking account of clients' business objectives, their risk appetite and industry considerations. Now more than ever, navigating regulatory risks is paramount in successfully executing commercial transactions: clients benefit from my deep experience in dealing with key Australian regulators including ASIC, ASX, FIRB and the Takeovers Panel. I lead MinterEllison's foreign direct investment team. In that role, I work with private sector and government clients across all industries in high profile M&A, real estate and infrastructure projects to successfully navigate Australia's foreign investment regime.

I am a member of the Australian Takeovers Panel, being the primary forum for resolving disputes on contested takeovers.

I am also a member of the Corporations Committee of the Business Section of the Law Council of Australia. I regularly write and present on corporate law developments, including as a guest lecturer at the Governance Institute of Australia and Leo Cussen Centre for Law.

I have extensive transactional experience across a number of industries including food and agribusiness, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, fast moving consumables, property and construction.

Career highlights

• Advised L'Oréal on its acquisition of Melbourne-based skincare group Aēsop for $3.7 billion. The deal is the largest for any luxury brand in Australia
• Advised NYSE listed Albermarle Corporation on its $123 million strategic investment in dual ASX-TSX listed Patriot Battery Metals, with the proceeds to be used by Patriot to accelerate the development of its Corvette lithium project
• Advised Vimy Resources Limited on its $658 million merger with Deep Yellow Limited by scheme of arrangement, to create a tier one global uranium player with assets in Australia and Namibia
• Advised Focus Minerals on its successful defence of a hostile all-scrip takeover offer from Theta Gold Limited
• Advised Qualitas, an Australian fund manager specialising in the commercial real estate sector, on its IPO and ASX listing
• Advised Stockholm listed Essity on its acquisition of Asaleo Care by scheme of arrangement, valued at $788 million
• Advised Village Roadshow Limited in responding to private equity acquisition proposals from Pacific Equity Partners and BGH Capital respectively, with BGH ultimately securing control of Village in a scheme transaction valued at $864 million – this deal successfully closed despite vigorous shareholder opposition from two activists shareholders
• Advised E&P Financial Group Limited in successfully defending two successive hostile scrip and cash takeover bids from its largest shareholder 360 Capital Group Limited
• Advised Transit Systems on its $700 million sale to ASX listed SeaLink Travel Group, creating Australia's leading integrated land and marine passenger transport business
• Advised CDH Investments, a leading Chinese private equity firm, and China Grand Pharmaceutical (a Hong Kong listed company) on their successful A$1.9 billion acquisition of ASX listed Sirtex Medical Limited (this displaced an initially recommended A$1.50 billion offer from a first bidder)
• Advised Hitachi Construction Machinery on its successful $970 million takeover of ASX listed Bradken Limited
• Advised Baosteel on its successful A$1.4 billion joint takeover bid with Aurizon for ASX listed Aquila Resources and development of $8 billion West Pilbara Iron Ore Project
• Advised ASX listed Vocus Communications on its A$4 billion merger with M2 Group
• Advised ASX listed Citadel Resource Group Limited on its A$1.25 billion takeover by Equinox Minerals
• Advised ASX listed Gloucester Coal on its $8.0 billion merger with Yancoal Australia
• Advised ASX listed Healthscope on its $2.1 billion takeover by TPG/Carlyle Group
• Advised ASX listed Vision Systems Limited on its $800 million takeover by Danaher Corporation (being the successful acquirer in an auction for control involving three bidders)
• Advised ASX listed Warrnambool Cheese on its A$600 million takeover by Saputo (being the successful acquirer in an auction for control involving three bidders and a total of 9 bids). This complex and high profile auction for control saw this deal place as a finalist in "Deal of the Year" at the 2014 Australasian Law Awards
• Advised ASX listed property developer Phileo on its privatisation proposal (by selective capital reduction) from its major shareholder and CEO, Mr Rudy Koh
• Advised ASX listed Legend Corporation on its A$100 million takeover by Adamantem Capital
• Advised ASX listed SPC Ardmona Limited on its A$470 million takeover by Coca-Cola Amatil
• Advised ASX listed Patties Foods on its A$307 takeover by Pacific Equity Partners
• Advised Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust on its A$1.013 billion acquisition of GIC’s and Frasers Property Australia Pty Ltd’s logistics property portfolio in Australia
• Advised ASX listed Mineral Deposits Limited in its successful defence of a hostile takeover from its 50% joint venture partner ERAMET SA (25% price increase secured)
• Advised Jangho Group on its successful A$200 million takeover of ASX listed Vision Eye Institute
• Advised ASX listed Oakton Limited on its A$170 million takeover by Dimension Data
• Advised ASX listed apparel retailer the PAS Group in responding to two successive hostile takeover bids by Coliseum Capital LLC, a US private equity firm
• Advised Dental Corporation on its A$450 million takeover by BUPA
• Advised China Energy Reserve and Chemical Group on its A$430 million hostile takeover bid for AWE Limited, being the first bid that initiated a three way auction for control of AWE
• Advised ASX listed Repco Corporation on its $A336 million takeover by CCMP Capital Asia
• Advised ASX listed Kids Campus Limited on its A$142 million takeover by ABC Learning Centres