Mark Beyer

THE past year has provided a fresh change for Perth's top property lawyer, KPMG Legal partner Ted Sharp. After more than 20 years with Freehills and its predecessor Parker & Parker, Mr Sharp chose to pursue new opportunities at a much smaller firm.

The RSPCA has appointed Kelly Oversby public relations coordinator. Ms Oversby has several years experience working in media liaison and public relations for the State Government and is a former editor for the Community Newspaper group.

CRIMINAL law runs through the veins of Robert Mazza, who has followed in the footsteps of his late father. Mr Mazza was articled with his father in the early 1980s and the two worked together for two decades, until Jim Mazza passed away in 1999.

WHEN former Andersen tax partner Keith Johns received his formal job offer from Ernst & Young last year, he saw that he had two choices.

FORMER Andersen audit partner Derek Parkin has racked up a couple of firsts since his old firm collapsed. Of Andersen's 10 former Perth partners, he is the only one to have added the title of professor to his resume.

THE Australian Securities and Investments Commission has launched a survey of defined benefit superannuation schemes offered by company super funds.

A NEW alliance between BankWest and pharmacy wholesaler Australian Pharmaceutical Industries is the latest of several initiatives by the bank to penetrate the healthcare industry.

FAST-GROWING equipment finance company RentSmart has expanded offshore in a joint venture with BankWest's parent Halifax Bank of Scotland.

IAIN Gerrard and Mike McNulty may have a new name on their business cards but in many respects their working lives have been unaffected by the collapse of Andersen.

One year on from the demise of Andersen, Mark Beyer spoke to former partners and staff to find how they survived and where they are now.

In the second of a six-part series on corporate superannuation, Mark Beyer looks at some of the issues employers need to address when reviewing their fund.

SHIPBUILDING company Austal has launched an innovative solution to one of the main corporate governance issues facing small and mid-cap listed companies.

THE report of the HIH Royal Commission has added to the debate over audit independence and accounting standards by recommending changes that go well beyond current reform proposals.

In the first of a six-part series on corporate superannuation, Mark Beyer looks at the impact of increased regulation. AUSTRALIAN companies are voting with their feet.

WESTPAC Bank has rejigged its West Australian management structure with the appointment of two senior executives to take charge of all personal and business banking.

Respondents to the Rising Stars survey completed a detailed questionnaire on their business strategies and plans. The responses provide in-depth insights into the success drivers for the Rising Stars.

In the final instalment of the mergers and acquisitions series, Mark Beyer gets a legal perspective. BEHIND every M&A lawyer is a frustrated merchant banker. It's an old cliche but it has an element of truth.

THE Commissioner of State Revenue has drawn up a hit list of 15 industries that will be targeted for contractor audits after the current payroll tax amnesty expires on June 30.

LLOYD Rayney, the crown prosecutor who ran foul of art critic Robert Hughes, wasn't in Perth this week for the out-of-court settlement of his defamation action.

THE accumulated wealth of Australia's family businesses far exceeds the combined value of stock market-listed companies, a new survey has found.

QUEENSLAND company Super Cheap Auto has agreed to pay $25.3 million for Perth-based auto parts group Marlows. The price of the acquisition was revealed for the first time in a notice of meeting sent recently to Marlows' shareholders.

In the fifth of a six-part series on mergers and acquisitions, Mark Beyer looks at the acquisition of Marlows.

PROMINENT corporate tax accountant Ian Crisp has left Ernst & Young and plans to open a boutique tax consultancy.

THE new corporate governance guidelines issued recently by the Australian Stock Exchange could create a divide between large and small companies, local experts have warned.

CONSTRUCTION of Western Australia's fifth woodchip mill formally started last week at the port of Bunbury. Hansol PI's $12 million facility is one of several new projects planned for the sector.

The debt collection industry has witnessed enormous change over the past few years. Mark Beyer looks at how services have evolved. FOUR years ago, the debt collection industry in Perth was dominated by locally owned and locally run firms.

A NEW debt collection firm focused on a ‘back-to-basics' strategy has carved out a sizeable share of the Western Australian market.

In this week's article on Mergers and Acquis-itions, Mark Beyer looks at the impact of tax on M&A transactions.WHEN a business is bought or sold, the tax implications are of

STATE Development Minister Clive Brown had a broad smile on his face last week when he officially launched Wesbeam's $86 million pine processing project at Wanneroo.

FORMER Western Power managing director David Eiszele, who resigned in controversial circumstances last year, received total payments of $1.148 million in his final six months in the job.

BURSWOOD International Resort Casino believes the major refurbishment completed in late 2001 leaves it well placed to face extra competition in the MICE market.

THE Federal Government's hardline stance on assistance for the timber industry could derail plans for new investment and jobs.