Mergers and acquisitions league tables for the full year 2005 have confirmed Mallesons Stephen Jaques' position as one of the leading legal advisors in Australia and Asia.

According to Thomson Financial, Mallesons completed 126 deals with a combined value of US$29.184 billion in Australia / New Zealand during 2005. Thomson's Asian tables (ex Australia, ex Japan) indicate Mallesons closed 26 deals valued at US$8.434 billion for the year.

Additionally, the firm advised on 141 deals yet to be completed in Australia (with a combined value of US$22.603 billion) and 35 deals in Asia which are also still to close (valued at US$8.522 billion).

Mallesons' Chief Executive Partner Robert Milliner said: “Our relative performance in the Asian M&A tables is pleasing. We have been ranked 6th in Asia, up from 22nd in 2004. This is a reflection of our capability, the increasingly cross-border nature of our Australian M&A practice, and our on the ground Hong Kong M&A talent.

“Significant Australia-Asia deals included the A$2.12 billion acquisition by CLP of the TXU-branded energy business of Singapore Power, the HK$ 3.5 billion Commonwealth Bank sale of its Hong Kong-based life insurance, pensions administration and financial planning businesses to Sun Life Financial and the Cheung Kong Infrastructure IPO, where we acted for Spark Infrastructure in its A$2 billion initial public offer of stapled securities, making it one of the largest initial public offerings in Australia in recent years.

“Our expectation is that there will be continued demand for our M&A capability in Asia.”

Mallesons' head of M&A Greg Golding added: “It was another active year for the team in 2005, when we acted on substantially all of the major Australian-based public M&A deals - WMC (for Xstrata), GPT (for Stockland), National Foods (for Fonterra), AXA Australia (for AXA Australia), Foodland (for Foodland), Hills Motorway (for Hills), Portman Mining (for Clevelend Cliffs).”