As the most active legal advisor in equity capital markets transactions each year, our market leading team is well placed to assist public and private companies, broking houses, investment banks, corporate advisers, managed funds, financial advisers, underwriters, private equity groups and high net worth investors in all capital markets transactions.

In addition, we are Australia's leading IPO advisory firm, acting on close to 20% of all Australian equity IPOs in Australia each year.

Our Equity Capital Markets Services include:

• seed capital and other pre-IPO offerings;

• initial public offerings;

• secondary offerings including rights issues (plus accelerated rights offers), placements and share purchase plans;

• more complex capital instruments, such as debenture and convertible note offerings;

• buy-backs and capital reductions;

• underwriting agreements; and

• reconstructions and re-compliance with the ASX listing rules under Chapter 11.

In addition, we are a "Nominated Advisor" of the National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX).

We are also able to provide Australian related legal advice to listed and unlisted companies wanting to list on other exchanges, such as the LSE, AIM, TSX and SGX.

Our mergers and acquisitions practice forms a large part of the work that we do, and we continue to be one of the most active legal advisors in this space, having advised on numerous takeovers, schemes of arrangement, and major private and public asset acquisitions and sales.

Our Mergers and Acquisitions services include:

• transaction strategy;

• preparing for, formulating and defending takeover bids;

• drafting of Bidder’s and Target’s Statements;

• mergers by scheme of arrangement;

• share or asset acquisitions and divestments;

• demergers;

• private equity acquisitions; and

• obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals and ASX and ASIC waivers relevant to mergers or acquisitions.
  

We provide general corporate and commercial legal advice to Australian public and private companies including in relation to matters of general corporate compliance and governance.

Our general Corporate and Commercial services include:

• compliance with the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and the ASX Listing Rules;

• governance advice;

• notices of meeting and other compliance documents;

• NSX listing applications;

• drafting ASX submissions, waivers and ASIC modifications;

• support for company secretarial services;

• due diligence investigations;

• joint venture, management and other commercial agreements;

• general contractural services such as shareholder agreements, employment and consultancy agreements, licence agreements, services agreements, underwriting agreements, share sale and asset sale agreements; and

• research related advice on commercial matters.

As a Western Australian law firm, we recognise the need for an independent firm to provide advice on state matters in the mining and resources sectors, to both local, interstate and overseas parties.

We provide advice in relation to energy and resources projects.  Our experience includes hard rock mining, oil and gas and other resources projects, not only in Australia but in overseas jurisdictions, including Asia, Europe, Canada, USA, South America and Africa. Our lawyers regularly engage with international clients and advisers on cross-border transactions, and we have a list of well regarded affiliates in other countries able to provide expert advice and translation services, if required.

Our Energy and Resources services include:

• initial public offerings of exploration and mining companies;

• mergers and acquisitions of mining and resource assets, either direct at the asset level, or at the company level (takeover, scheme or other);

• due diligence investigations (including appropriate title searches) and all regulatory approvals;

• pre and post completion matters for an acquisition or divestment;

• Foreign Investment Review Board notifications and approvals;

• various agreements including joint venture agreements, sale and purchase agreements, option agreements, different types of royalty agreements, mineral rights agreements, compensation agreements, access agreements and toll treatment agreements; and

• preparation of Solicitor's Reports on tenements.
  

Steinepreis Paganin has provided continuous service and quality legal advice to its clients in relation to financial services matters since 2001.

Our typical financial services clients include property syndicates and funds, investment funds (generally registered and unregistered managed investment schemes), investment companies (including listed investment companies (LICs)),  stockbrokers, financial planners and professional services firms providing expert reports.

We also provide advice in relation to most other financial services related matters, including anti money laundering (AML/CTF) and compliance related matters. We are up to date with the law relating to recent developments, such as fintech, crowdfunding, peer to peer lending and venture capital limited partnerships (ESVCLPs/VCLPs).

Our regular contact with the regulators and intimate knowledge of the legislation allows us to fully appreciate the intricacies and nuances associated with this area of the law. Our priority is to use this “hands on” experience to assist our clients to efficiently achieve each of their commercial objectives.

Our competitive advantage is that we are an experienced streamlined team which is readily available to provide legal advice and solutions in the financial services space.

We also have contacts who can provide responsible manager services or interim licensing solutions on a contractual basis.

For further information, please contact Matthew Hawtin (Partner).

The services we provide include advising on:

• AFS licensing, including AFSL authorisation advice, AFSL applications, AFSL variations and responsible manager selection;

• establishment and operation of property syndicates, structured as either managed investment schemes or companies; and

• establishment and operation of investment funds and investment companies (including registered and unregistered MISs, LICs and EVCLPs/VCLPs).