Bio

Neil Pathak heads the Gilbert + Tobin Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) team in Melbourne, is co-head of the Corporate Advisory group of the firm and is a member of Gilbert + Tobin’s board of partners. Neil is also a member of the Australian Government's Takeovers Panel (the peer review body that regulates public company control transactions and is the primary forum for resolving takeover disputes). Neil specialises in listed company takeovers, schemes of arrangement, cross border M&A, mining/resources, capital markets and corporate governance matters having over 25 years of experience in these fields. Best Lawyers named him Melbourne’s Corporate Lawyer of the Year and M&A Lawyer of the Year in 9 of the last 11 years. Neil was named Australian M&A Partner of the Year at the Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards 2020. He is ranked Band 1 in Chambers for M&A. Neil’s practice centres on M&A (with a particular expertise in listed company takeovers and cross-border acquisitions), Takeover Panel matters, private/negotiated sales and disposals, joint ventures, equity capital raisings, capital management, ASX disclosure and corporate governance matters. Neil has expertise in a number of industries including private equity, mining/resources, energy, chemicals, infrastructure, healthcare, agribusiness, FMCG, retail, gaming, logistics, manufacturing, real estate, dot com and IT sectors. He is recognised as a leading Australian M&A lawyer in all key international publications including Best Lawyers, Chambers, Legal 500 and International Who’s Who of M&A Lawyers. Neil has spent time working at pre-eminent London and New York law firms. Neil has previously authored the leading text on Australian takeovers, Takeovers Law and Strategy and is the principal author of the State of the M&A Nation and G+T’s annual Takeovers and Schemes Review. Neil has bachelor degrees in Law (with First Class Honours) and Commerce (Finance major) from the University of Melbourne. He also has a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment. He lectures in takeovers and securities laws at the University of Melbourne and is a member of the Corporations Committee of the Law Council of Australia.