Con is the Co-Head of the MinterEllison M&A/Capital Markets Team and specialises in Public and Private M&A and Corporate Advisory.
Con has significant experience working on M&A transactions across many sectors, with a focus on working for strategic clients – in particular, those listed on the ASX.

Con has a unique understanding of the key challenges facing Boards and C-Suite of ASX listed companies in these transactions, including with respect to managing legal and reputational risks.

Con regularly advises ASX listed companies and their directors on a broad range of corporate advisory matters (including Annual General meetings, continuous disclosure, insider trading and directors’ duties).

Con is a member of the Australian Takeovers Panel, has been ranked in Chambers, Best Lawyers and IFLR1000 and is a member of the Law Council of Australia’s Corporation Committee. In 2023, Con was a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly Australian M&A Partner of the Year Award and Dealmaker of the Year award, as well as in the Australasian Law Awards M&A Dealmaker of the Year Award.

Chambers and Partners client testimonial state:

"Con is great to work with on deals because he’s easy to talk to and sound on key issues and always has a commercial lens…..He knows what is market, and what's important in a deal and what's not."

Career highlights

• Viterra: Advising Bunge (NYSE) on the Australian legal aspects of its $34B mega-merger with Viterra.
• Crown Resorts/ Conpress: Advised in relation to numerous matters, including the Sydney Casino bid process, the proposed $10B acquisition by Wynn Resorts' (NASDAQ) and Conpress' $1.7B proposed sale of part of its interest to Melco.
• Cromwell Property: Advised on its response to the $529M proportional takeover bid by Singapore based ARA Asset Management.
• oOh!media: Advised on the acquisition by oOh!media (ASX-listed) on its $570M acquisition of the Adshel outdoor media business from HT&E (ASX-listed) and associated $300M capital raising.
• TEN: Advised on the sale of distressed free-to-air TV network TEN (ASX-listed) to CBS (NYSE-listed).
• CIMIC: Advised CIMIC its successful $525M unsolicited takeover bid for UGL Limited (ASX-listed).
• CIMIC: Advised CIMIC on its $175M unsolicited takeover bid for Macmahon Holdings Limited.
• Urbanest: Advised on the A$2B acquisition sale to Scape Australia, the largest Real Estate M&A transaction recorded in Australia in 2019.
• Seymour Whyte: Advised a bidder in connection with its proposed take-private of the ASX-listed construction group Seymour Whyte.
• Hitachi: Advised Hitachi on its successful A$976M all cash off-market takeover offer for Bradken Limited (ASX listed).

• MinterEllison's M&A century
  

  In a record-breaking year for the firm, MinterEllison worked on over 100 M&A deals in 2021 - ranking second in deal volume in MergerMarket's League Tables.

• Restructuring and sale of Network Ten
  

  MinterEllison was the sole legal adviser to the receivers and managers appointed to ASX-listed Australian media group, Network Ten, on all aspects of its widely publicised receivership in late 2017.

• MinterEllison advises Airlie Funds Management on sale to Magellan Financial Group
  

  MinterEllison has advised the shareholders of Airlie Funds Management on the all-scrip acquisition by ASX-listed Magellan Financial Group Ltd (ASX:MFG).

• Australian food and agribusiness 2017 key themes
  

  2017 is a year of opportunity and challenge for the Australian food and agribusiness sector. We anticipate an uplift in food and agribusiness M&A activity, and have identified 6 key themes that are likely to play out in the remainder of 2017.

• Australian Life Sciences and Biotech - Key themes and trends
  The Australian life sciences and biotech sector is likely to continue its resurgence over the next twelve months, with global trends driving strong M&A activity in life sciences and biotech M&A. We have identified 6 key themes for activity in this sector.
• MinterEllison scoops two awards at the 2022 IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards
  

  MinterEllison has won the Restructuring Deal of the Year for work on Boart Longyear, and the prestigious National Law Firm of the Year Award for Australia.

• Unmasking financial services' IT costs in M&A
  

  As the financial services sector faces a wave of M&A activity, organisations need to be aware of the hidden costs that technology can present.

• MinterEllison advises retailer Steinhoff Asia Pacific on $300m refinance deal
  

  MinterEllison is very pleased to have advised Steinhoff Asia Pacific Group Holdings Pty Ltd (Steinhoff Asia Pacific) as it secured its funding requirements for the next 12 months with a $300m refinance provided by its existing syndicate of six local and international banks.

• 10 insights into public mergers and acquisitions
  

  Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and heightened market volatility, the last two and half years have delivered a record M&A boom in terms of deal volumes and values. In our Directions in public M&A report, we explore 10 insights into deal activity, sectors to watch and the outlook for M&A going forward.