Australian firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth has hired corporate and M&A partner Ben Macdonald to bolster its corporate advisory offering in Melbourne.
“We are expanding our M&A team in Melbourne as we see opportunities for growth with a range of clients in that market,” Gavin MacLaren, senior partner and chief executive officer at Corrs told Asia Business Law Journal.
He noted the firm was number one for deal volume in the 2024 calendar year and continues to see further opportunities for expansion of its practice with a range of opportunities across the industrials, energy and natural resource and infrastructure sectors.
Macdonald, who will join the firm on 1 October, has been a partner at Gilbert + Tobin since 2012. Prior to joining Gilbert + Tobin, he worked as vice president at Deutsche Bank for one year and senior manager at Macquarie Capital Advisers for three years. Earlier in his legal career, he practised as a senior associate at Herbert Smith Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer) and an associate at Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman).
He specialises in M&A, joint ventures, as well as corporate governance and restructures. Macdonald has a particular interest in cross-border M&A, energy and infrastructure and foreign investment. His clients include Australian Securities Exchange-listed companies, global companies, foreign government-owned entities, private equity groups and startups.
The M&A market in Australia remained active, said McLaren. He added Macdonald’s practice in corporate and M&A in the industrials, energy and infrastructure sectors played into this growth strategy and complemented the firm’s national M&A offering.
