Bio

Michael Parshall is one of Australia's leading corporate lawyers with significant experience in public and private M&A, capital raising, restructuring and corporate advisory matters. He has more than 20 years' experience advising significant listed and unlisted clients including AUB Group, CYBG, HSBC, Illyria, ING, Lloyds, Liberty Global, Macquarie, MS&AD, Pendal (formerly BTIM), PTT and State Grid of China. He is widely recognised for his skill in developing deal structures. Michael has been a pioneer of a number of firsts in M&A transactions including: the first (legal) pre-bid through 20% takeover threshold (rules since changed) (Brookfield-Multiplex); the first listed structure to adopt see-through voting (Canwest-Ten); the first design of scheme proxy to crash through "takeover-proof" constitution (Advance-St George); the first Australian cross-jurisdictional equity swap (Liberty Media in relation to the News Corp reincorporation, leading to the News Corp rights plan being invoked); the first (and second) corporatisation of a listed stapled security via schemes of arrangement (MMG and Asciano); the first three (out of only four in the Australian market) cut-off reinsurance schemes of arrangement. Michael is consistently recognised as a leading individual in all major directories, including Chambers Global, Corporate M&A and the Asia Pacific Legal 500 where Michael is ranked as a Leading Individual for Corporate/M&A. Michael was recognised as Lawyer of the Year in Corporate Law, Sydney by Best Lawyers Australia, 2020 edition. Michael is ranked as a band 2 lawyer in Chambers Asia Pacific Guide, Corporate/M&A, 2019. He is respected by peers for his "very strong practice" and described as "a partner renowned in his field for his depth of experience and so knowledgeable that he sees things twelve steps ahead" as well as being "very highly regarded for financial services-related transactions in particular."