I have significant expertise leading M&A transactions, particularly in the insurance, other financial services, and health and aged care industries, including advising on associated APRA regulatory matters. I also have substantial experience working with governments around Australia to successfully implement privatisations, corporatisations and restructures designed to achieve policy and commercial objectives. My other speciality is corporate governance and I regularly provide strategic advice to clients on directors’ duties and other governance and risk issues, especially as they affect banks, insurers and other financial institutions, health and aged care organisations and educational institutions. I also have particular expertise advising on the Banking Executive Accountability Regime and Financial Accountability Regime, and am a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.

Career highlights

Financial services

• Advising on market leading insurance M&A transactions, including the sales of Suncorp Life, OnePath and CommInsure.
• Advising Commonwealth Bank and other local and foreign owned banks and insurers on the implementation of the Banking Executive Accountability Regime and Financial Accountability Regime.
• Advising existing banks and insurers and new entrants to the Australian market on APRA authorisation and associated governance and prudential issues.
• Advising on a number of Part 9 life insurance portfolio transfers and Division 3A general insurance portfolio transfers.
• Advising on loan portfolio transfers for major Australian banks.

Health and aged care

• Advised industry players such as HCF, Healthcare of New Zealand, Interim HealthCare, Just Better Care and UnitingCare on acquiring and disposing of aged care facilities, home care businesses and health technology businesses.

Government

• Port privatisations – delivered highly successful transactions in NSW ($6.82bn), Victoria ($9.7bn) and the Northern Territory ($506m), including leading the legislative and regulatory workstreams.
• Advising on major government transformations and restructures and associated governance and legislative issues for the New South Wales, Victorian, Western Australian and Northern Territory governments, including advising a number of NSW Government clients including Ausgrid, Department of Finance, Services and Innovation, Endeavour Energy, Landcom, Port Authority of New South Wales, TAFE NSW, Transport Asset Holding Entity, Transport for NSW, UrbanGrowth NSW.