Blake Dawson Waldron, Freehills, and Cochrane Lishman are firmly entrenched as the dominant law firms in Western Australia's M&A market, having advised on the vast majority of big takeovers in the past financial year.
At a time when the state government is reviewing several contentious resource projects, one of its top business advisers has questioned whether the mining industry can be trusted.
The Office of Development Approvals Coordination is quietly but effectively helping dozens of Western Australian mining projects clear their way through the regulatory maze, according to its inaugural head.
Mining entrepreneur Michael Kiernan last week outlined to WA Business News his plan plan to bring together his non-gold companies under the joint ownership of iron ore miner, Territory Resources Ltd.
The Carpenter ministry has experienced extraordinary turnover in the past year with several ministers sacked or demoted, leaving the same handful of senior campaigners in charge.
Western Australia's main public universities have some of the state's most influential people serving on their governing councils and among their senior staff.
John Akehurst may not have rated a mention in WA Business News' annual ranking of WA's most influential people a year ago, but during the past six months he has played a central role in deciding the fate of Alinta.
The state government employs thousands of public servants, yet real influence on public policy in Western Australia rests just with a handful of key advisers working in ministerial offices.
Gooding Pervan partner Dalton Gooding and Azure Capital managing director Mark Barnaba are part of a team that last year enjoyed the highest revenue and profit derived from football earnings than any other club in the Australian Football League.
Former premier and political lobbyist Brian Burke heads the group of people who have fallen off the list of Western Australia's most influential in the past year.
Newspaper editors are meant to focus on writing headlines, but the editor of Western Australia's only daily newspaper, Paul Armstrong, has actually generated more than his fair share over the past couple of years.
If the amount of money invested in Western Australia is a measure of influence, then the top executives at a handful of big resource companies are among the most influential people in the state.
Tony Howarth is one of Western Australia's most highly regarded company directors, yet he is becoming as well known for his philanthropic activities as his commercial achievements.
Woodside is expected to record a small decline in net profit this year, primarily because the company's fortunes are closely tied to changes in the oil price.
Woodside Petroleum Ltd is fast approaching decision time on its giant Pluto gas project, which, if it proceeds, will be the single largest investment in a resource project in Australia's history.
The appointment of David Robb as Iluka chief executive last August may have been applauded by the investment community, but the positive reception for the man has not translated into support for the stock.
When former Wesfarmers executive, John Pirie, took on the job as chief executive of National Lifestyle Villages Pty Ltd more than two years ago he implemented remarkably similar management strategies to those David Robb is currently utilising at Iluka Res
Two Western Australian-based technology companies were recognised last month at the national Consensus software awards for Australian software developers.
The arrival of Web 2.0 – the ‘new phase' in the internet that encompasses social networking sites, podcasts and blogging – was for some users the most significant event in cyberspace since the dot.com boom.
While securing venture capital remains a challenge for many in the state's online business sector, local and international investors continue to see opportunities in the Western Australian market.
The CBD skyline will be transformed before the decade is out as developers move ahead with the construction of new apartment buildings across the city.
Western Australia's economic prosperity is generating unprecedented levels of building activity across public and private sector projects, with no shortage of developments in the planning phase.
Developers are seeking to capitalise on the growing industrial facilities shortage, delivering some of the most significant warehousing construction projects and driving the creation of large new estates.
Western Australia's powerhouse economy has moved into top gear, sparking unprecedented levels of demand for infrastructure and creating a volume of construction work across the state that's challenging the sector.
Punters will be able to shop until they drop this Christmas with no fewer than eight new major shopping centre and showroom projects in Perth due to be completed before the year is out.
