Mark Beyer

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

THE past two years have been disappointing for investors in gaming and resort operator Burswood. The company has reported weak profit results, its share price has fallen and many broking analysts now have a ‘sell' recommendation on the stock.

THE farm lobby is not considered to be at the vanguard of corporate governance reform, but that has not stopped the WA Farmers Federation taking on wheat marketing company AWB.

In his third article on mergers and acquisitions, Mark Beyer examines the importance of early planning by the key players.

MALLESONS Stephen Jaques partner Leigh Warnick, one of the top corporate advisory lawyers in Perth, is believed to have handed in his notice.

Timber millers, furniture makers and many related businesses have been waiting more than a year for the State Government to finalise its Forest Management Plan.

AUSTRALIA'S 100 largest private and public companies are about to have their ethical and environmental performance rated.

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.

In the second in a series on mergers and acquisitions, Mark Beyer looks at the type of information business owners need to provide potential buyers.

CONTROL of ERG could pass to UK fund manager Ingot Capital Management if the company's proposed balance sheet restructuring is fully implemented.