Profile: Mallesons Stephen Jaques

Mallesons Stephen Jaques - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

CORPORATE AND FINANCE
Greg Hammond is one of seven Mallesons lawyers in the capital markets chapter and received more nominations than any other lawyer in Australia. Greg Golding, Stuart Fuller and David Friedlander are part of a strong team in the Sydney office. David Olsson and Berkeley Cox appear from Melbourne and Brisbane respectively. Adrienne Showering from the firm’s Hong Kong office completes the group. She represents investment banks and borrowers in capital markets transactions and helped to create the Orchid securitisation vehicle for ABN AMRO.
Mallesons is also considered a “heavyweight” for banking. The firm acts for major financial institutions in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as for major regulators such as the Reserve Bank of Australia and Australian Clearing Payments Association. Greg Hammond, appearing for the second time, was described as a “real pro”, while John Stumbles “stands out from the crowd”. Rowan Russell works as an Australian lawyer from London and primarily advises Australian banks, corporations and arrangers in the UK market.
Mallesons is the only firm with three partners in the Australia section of the corporate governance chapter. David Friedlander, who appears three times in this book, was praised for his domestic work, and for his expertise relating to Hong Kong and China. Alison Lansley “knows as much as anyone about Australian corporate governance”, and is chair of the firm’s corporate governance group. Stephen Minns, co-head of the national mergers and acquisitions group, from the Melbourne office, also features.

Tim Bednall joins Friedlander and Minns in the following pages, making Mallesons the most nominated M&A practice in Australia.
For corporate tax Andrew Clements from Melbourne is a “strong competitor”, according to rivals. Clements specialises in corporate tax and capital gains tax for public companies and has particular knowledge of the tax aspects of employee share schemes. Michael Clough joins Clements from the Melbourne office. His clients include Australian and international banks, insurance companies and industrial corporations. John King in Sydney advises on the tax aspects of inbound and outbound investments, trusts and partnerships.
John Canning and John Hambly were both highly nominated in the aviation chapter and contributors thought Mallesons a “leading firm” for aircraft finance work.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION
On the litigation front, Sydney based Ashley Black is “technically excellent” and focuses his practice on Corporations Act and regulatory matters. Peter Stockdale also hails from the Sydney office and appears in the litigation, and insurance and reinsurance chapters.
Two lawyers from the Hong Kong office appear in the arbitration chapter. Paul Starr was extremely well received for his construction-related work. Senior partner at the Hong Kong office David Bateson was equally well regarded and also focuses on construction disputes.

Sydney-based product liability specialist Robyn Chalmers was well received in the research for that chapter. Her work for UK and US pharmaceutical companies was praised, as was her expertise in the life sciences arena.

CONSTRUCTION, REAL ESTATE AND ENVIRONMENT
In the construction chapter the firm has an impressive array of talent in the Asia-Pacific region. The group boasts a notable client list including Leighton Contractors and Leighton Asia, Bechtel, Multiplex and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The aforementioned Hong Kong partners Bateson and Starr feature prominently. In Australia, Peter Megens has an “enviable Asian practice” focused on contentious matters. He has recently become increasingly engaged in offshore international arbitration. Peter Pether, in the Sydney office, specialises in the resolution of construction and engineering project disputes and was described to researchers as “one to watch”.

Four Mallesons practitioners make the cut in the real estate research. In Sydney, Michael Allen focuses on mixed use, tourist, industrial and urban development projects. Stuart Dixon-Smith also acts for developers or lenders on the construction, financing and developments of major properties. Sue Kench is also highly regarded. Andrew Erikson in Melbourne is “one of the best practitioners in town”, according to rivals.

Melbourne-based Stephen Davis heads up the planning, environment, native title, energy and water law team and features in the environment chapter. His diverse practice encompasses environmental risk allocation on M&A deals, relationships with environmental action groups and disaster management. Hong Kong practitioner Christopher Tung specialises in climate change and clean energy matters, and his advocacy of sustainable development law in Asia was noted.

INFRASTRUCTURE
The firm’s project finance group fields two representatives in the chapter. The group acted as lead transactional lawyers for RiverCity Motorway Consortium on the Brisbane North–South bypass tunnel. Peter Doyle and Tony Holland, practising in Sydney and Melbourne, are especially well thought of for their energy projects expertise.
Two Mallesons lawyers also make the cut in the mining chapter: in Perth, Alan Murray is well regarded for resources and energy work and also features in the oil and gas chapter; in Melbourne, Rick Ladbury has a strong reputation.

COMPETITION
Dave Poddar practises in the Sydney office and was recommended as “extremely active”. He represents Australian and international corporations and industry bodies and has experience of advising on the competition aspects of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Roger Featherston was also highly nominated for his advice on commercial, regulatory and litigious competition law issues. He has advised on the competition aspects of mergers and acquisitions such as Westpac/Challenge Bank.

REGULATORY COMMUNICATIONS AND IP
Neil Carabine and Kristin Leece both feature in the regulatory communications chapter. Carabine advises Telstra on matters such as access arrangements, regulatory disputes and competitive strategies. Leece is the former adviser to the Australian minister for communications and the arts regarding the formation of telecommunications policy principles for the post-1997 regulatory regime in Australia.

Melbourne-based Wayne McMaster is a “highly respected” patent practitioner who has a particular knowledge of pharmaceutical ant biotechnology related matters.

Maurice Gonsalves in Sydney is an IP litigation specialist with experience of complex trials, and search and seizure orders. He features in the trademark chapter.