Nicola Charlston advises clients on complex transactions across a broad range of sectors, including financial services, infrastructure, health, pharmaceutical, resources and technology. With over 25 years' experience, Nicola is equally proficient at public M&A and private treaty transactions, and her technical expertise, combined with her practical approach, has seen clients seek her out to assist with some of Australia's most high profile transactions over the past few years.
As well as transactional M&A, Nicola provides strategic advice to her clients on a broad range of corporate issues, including capital raisings, governance matters, cyber issues and joint venture arrangements. Nicola sits on the firm's health sector leadership team and is on the Advisory Board of the International Bar Association's esteemed M&A Committee.
Nicola is recognised as a market leading practitioner in M&A by global legal directories, including Chambers Global.
"Nicola Charlston is highly commercial. She's firm about the important things and flexible where we don't need to fight the battle. She has been extremely reliable and delivers according to timelines.” (Chambers Global 2025)
“Nicola is exceptional in terms of legal and interpersonal skills. She provides advice in the context of our business. She’s not hesitant to deal with delicate matters.” (Chambers Global 2025)
"Very responsive, commercial partner with the ability to deliver clear advices on highly complex matters to the legal team, as well as simpler, more digestible papers to internal clients". (Australian health client)
Nicola's work highlights include:
- Kinetic: as lead sell-side legal adviser on the sale by OP Trust and Foresight Group to TPG of a majority stake in global transport operator Kinetic.
- Block Inc: on its acquisition of Afterpay by scheme of arrangement .
- Campbell Soup Company: on the sale of Campbell's International business, including Arnott's Biscuits to KKR .
- The AZEK® Company: as Australian legal counsel in relation to the acquisition by James Hardie Industries plc of AZEK via a cash-and-stock transaction.
- REA Group: on its proposed acquisition of Rightmove plc, its acquisition of Mortgage Choice by scheme of arrangement and its acquisition of a stake in Athena Financial Pty Ltd.
- Medibank Private: on its IPO, acquisition of Better Medical and various other matters.
- Asciano: on the takeover bid by a joint Qube and Brookfield consortium also comprised of GIP, CPPIB, GIC and CIC .
- Nabors Energy Transition Corporation: on its entry into a business combination with Vast Solar Pty Ltd.
- Etex Group: on its acquisition of Knauf's Australian plasterboard business and its acquisition of BGC’s plasterboard and fibre cement businesses.
