News Articles for Allens

High commodity prices and a wave of cross-border capital have fuelled another busy half for WA's dealmakers.

Corporate lawyers Bryn Hardcastle and Scott Gibson built their reputations at boutique firms but have taken different paths.

Major law firms in Perth are increasing their graduate intake as they enjoy strong demand for their services.

The green energy transition is seen as one of the largest opportunities for WA law firms, with two mid-tier players leading the way.

Leaders from some of Perth's major professional services firms have seen big changes in their working lives over three decades.

Law firm Thomson Geer has continued its rapid expansion in WA, recruiting an experienced corporate partner from Hong Kong and a special counsel from Allens.

Perth company Perdaman has started work on one of WA's largest projects after gaining backing from Global Infrastructure Partners, the same group that backed Woodside's Pluto gas project.

Shares in lithium project developer Liontown Resources have jumped nearly 70 per cent after it disclosed US company Albemarle Corporation had submitted three takeover proposals.

UPDATED: Warrego Energy has taken the unusual step of publicly criticising the two bidders for the company while Mineral Resources has revealed a 16 per cent stake.

A battle is looming for Perth Basin hopeful Warrego Energy, with Beach Energy lobbing the second takeover offer revealed in two days.

More than a dozen law firm partners in Perth including Paul Evans, Paul Lingard and Spencer Flay are on the move in an extraordinary period of change for the sector.

Liontown has struck a five-year lithium concentrate supply deal with electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla.

Sydney-based law firm Hamilton Locke has entered the Western Australian market with a bang after recruiting four corporate finance partners from HWL Ebsworth Lawyers.

Budding lithium player Liontown Resources has unveiled a big share placement to fund its planned mine, with the deal also marking the first WA transaction for investment bank Barrenjoey.

Global Infrastructure Partners will join Woodside Petroleum's $US5.6 billion Pluto LNG expansion, having struck a deal to acquire a 49 per cent stake in the project.

Northern Star Resources has sold a large portion of its Kalgoorlie operations to Evolution Mining on the same day it appointed Stuart Tonkin as the goldminer's new managing director.

Oil Search has rejected a Santos merger bid valuing the joint entity at $22 billion, revealed one day after Oil Search's chief executive resigned.

Law firms Steinepreis Paganin and Thomson Geer and stockbroker Canaccord Genuity were the top deal makers in the June half.

There has been plenty of change during the past year in Perth's legal fraternity, which is enjoying healthy trade.

The founders of Australian bespoke accessories brand The Daily Edited are locked in a court battle over hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of personal expenses that were booked up to the business.

A shortage of rental stock has emphasised the role build-to-rent property developments could play in housing supply.

Multinational investment bank HSBC will shift its Perth headquarters from 190 St Georges Terrace to the 43-storey QV1 tower.

Allens is poised to substantially broaden its corporate practice in WA after recruiting two partners from rival firm HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, including Bryn Hardcastle.

Zenith Energy has entered a scheme implementation deed with Pacific Equity Partners, under which the company will be bought for $1.01 per Zenith share.

Pacific Energy has entered a takeover deed with investment group QIC, with major shareholder Kenneth Hall set to reap more than $200 million from the deal.

Quintis subsidiary Arwon Finance has won a Supreme Court ruling against its former chief executive Frank Wilson requiring him to repay a $13.2 million loan taken out in 2014.

Our weekly appointment wrap includes Rick Newnham, Brendan Acott, Tyron Hayes, Danny Murphy, Cameron Syme, Kristy Ryan, Paul Martin, Kenn Donohoe, Helen Sarcich, Nick Houldsworth, Matthew Read, Gary Thomas, Lucy Mengler, Rachel Horton, Richard Lilly, Lauren Haygarth, Donna Marsh, Peta Rapson, Stephanie Driscoll, Maree Ferguson, Susan Oldmeadow-Hall, Danny Olsen, Mark Giuffre, Timothy John, Melissa Reid, Jackson Wheeler, Daniel Butler, Tamara Arapovic, Garry Zacher, and Tamica D'Uva.

Canada-based Canaccord Genuity has struck a deal to acquire underperforming Perth-based stock broker Patersons Securities for about $25 million.

North America-focused Otto Energy is seeking to raise $11 million via a share placement and $20 million through a one-for-five rights issue, both at an issue price of 5.3 cents per share.

The Victorian government has sealed a $2.86 billion deal to lease that state's land registry for 40 years, giving an idea of how much Western Australia's government may expect from a similar, but smaller, privatisation under way locally.

The $110 million redevelopment of Forrest Chase is set to proceed unhindered after the Supreme Court granted an injunction against the owners of a neighbouring cafe, who had blocked work by head contractor Lendlease by staying open all night.

Santos is set to become the dominant supplier of gas in the Western Australian domestic market after striking a deal to buy privately-owned Quadrant Energy for $US2.15 billion ($A2.95 billion).

Directors of junior miner Kangaroo Resources has given a tick to a bid from Indonesian coal miner PT Bayan which values the company at $515 million.

Otto Energy has tapped investors for $20 million, with the proceeds set to be spent on drilling programs across the company's projects.

The board of China-focused Sino Gas & Energy Holdings has backed a takeover offer from US private equity group Lone Star, which values the gas producer at $530 million.

SPECIAL REPORT: There has been a flurry of high-profile moves by senior lawyers in Perth as the sector readies for a pick-up from several quiet years.

Sydney-based oil and gas company AWE has backed a revised $526 million takeover offer from Mineral Resources as the Perth-based mining outfit seeks to gain control of the Waitsia gas field in the Perth Basin.

A Chinese state-owned energy company has stepped up its efforts to gain control of the Waitsia gas field north of Perth, launching a hostile bid today for oil and gas group AWE after withdrawing its proposal for a friendly takeover earlier this week.

Shares in oil and gas group AWE have jumped more than 20 per cent following a $430 million takeover bid from a Chinese state-owned energy corporation.

Ramelius Resources is set to become a 200,000 ounces per annum gold producer after acquiring Evolution Mining's Edna May operation near Merredin for up to $90 million in cash and shares.