Publication
It's Public
Welcome to It's Public. Your go-to publication and podcast for Australian public M&A.
27 July 2026
Insight
Back, but selective: global and cross-border M&A
If you had to sum up the global M&A market in mid-2026 in a single phrase, it would be ‘back, but selective’.
27 July 2026
Insight
Despite geopolitical volatility, dealmakers keep moving
If the first half of 2026 was expected to be defined by geopolitical uncertainty, the Australian M&A market told a different story.
27 July 2026
Publication
Doing Business - Mallesons’ Guide to Doing Business in Australia
Doing Business - Mallesons’ 2026 guide to doing business in Australia - is your essential resource for investing and undertaking business operations in the Australian market.
30 April 2026
Insight
AI data centres in Australia: breaking down barriers to investment
AI data centres in Australia: breaking down barriers to investment
29 April 2026
Insight
Dealmaking: the new cartography
Geopolitics has transformed dealmaking, shaping and influencing transactions. Deals are now as much a reflection of political geography as they are a business opportunity.
12 March 2026
Insight
Business leaders reveal their next direction
Australian directors and senior business leaders have spoken in this year’s KWM Directions 2025 Report: Stepping Up To The Productivity Challenge – our essential guide to what is ‘top of mind’ in boardrooms across the country.
12 December 2025
Publication
OnBoard December 2025
Leading market insights purposefully curated for directors, general counsel and company secretaries.
12 December 2025
Publication
DealTrends
Welcome to KWM’s DealTrends in FY24 and FY25, our annual market report on Australian Private M&A deals between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025.
11 December 2025
Insight
Australia's AI Plan: Where is Australia going with AI?
We map the key elements in the Australia Government's National AI Plan.
05 December 2025
Insight
Back to the future: the re-emergence of the golden share
And like Marty McFly – golden shares are back conferring on governments rights about strategic matters, including the identity of future owners.
11 November 2025
Insight
It's Public: November 2025
Welcome to the third edition of It’s Public, your go-to publication and podcast for Australian Public M&A.
11 November 2025
Insight
FIRB / ACCC: Approval pathways converge
FIRB recently announced policy changes to streamline its application process and reduce regulatory duplication, requiring applicants to disclose information about competitive overlaps between merger parties.
21 October 2025
Insight
Navigating Australia’s evolving M&A regulatory landscape: a strategic playbook for financial sponsors
It will not have escaped those participating in Australia’s M&A ecosystem that the regulatory burden has evolved substantially, particularly over the last 5 to 10 years. The days of a single relatively administrative filing obligation, and possibly a couple of informal chats with industry and market regulators to confirm positions, have for most participants long disappeared. Today, the M&A regulatory framework is significantly more complex and dynamic. For those participating, it now offers less upfront clarity, takes longer and costs more to navigate.
15 August 2025
Insight
Updates to the Annual CIRMP Report webform
Responsible entities who are submitting their 2025 Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP) report should be aware that the form was updated by the Critical Infrastructure Security Centre (CISC) in April this year.
24 July 2025
Insight
Enforcement starts now: Grace period for defence export controls is over
Significant and wide-ranging changes to Australia’s defence export controls regime were introduced in September 2024.
08 May 2025
Insight
Conditionally yours: tackling FIRB uncertainty in foreign bids
Tectonic shifts in the global order are seeing security and economic considerations collide. While nations like Australia will proclaim to be ‘open for business’ and welcoming of foreign investment, actions speak loudly.
25 March 2025
Insight
CISC is consulting on rules to be made under Omnibus Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Package
The Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre (CISC) is consulting on proposed new rules to support the implementation of the Government’s recently assented Omnibus Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Package. Consultation closes on 14 February 2025.
24 January 2025
Insight
‘The great wait’ - How will the upcoming federal election impact your FIRB application?
With another Federal Election looming on the horizon in 2025, we are expecting that the processing time of FIRB applications will be impacted, potentially (with other factors considered) even up to mid-2025.
10 December 2024
Insight
First CIRMP annual reports under the SOCI Act - due soon
Responsible entities who are subject to the Security of Critical Infrastructure (Critical infrastructure risk management program) Rules (LIN 23/006) 2023 (CIRMP Rules) are required to submit their first annual report within 90 days of the end of the financial year (by 28 September 2024). Responsible entities should now be taking steps to prepare the annual report to ensure it is ready to submit by the deadline.
10 July 2024
Publication
KWM's Guide to Doing Business in Australia 2024
KWM’s Guide to Doing Business in Australia is your essential companion to unlocking Asia Pacific growth and innovation opportunities.
10 May 2024
Insight
Strengthening and streamlining Australia’s FIRB muscle: making foreign investments work harder
For years Australia has been adding layer upon layer of complex foreign investment rules and powers.
01 May 2024
Insight
Australia’s Foreign Investment Regime and Critical Minerals – “major overhaul” to be announced today by the Treasurer
As the global energy transition continues to develop, change is on the horizon. Global critical mineral supply and demand, technological development, and the clean energy transition will continue to drive investment as government and industry stakeholders look for opportunities.
01 May 2024
Insight
The Dispatch - March 2024
We’re excited to bring you the first edition of The Dispatch for 2024 with a renewed focus on celebrating your teams and clients transaction wins.
26 March 2024
Insight
Investing in Australia? Here’s what you need to know about Australian FDI in 2024
The new year brings another evolution of the FIRB landscape. It is well known that the FIRB landscape is constantly shifting in open and not so open ways.
15 February 2024
Insight
FIRB fee reductions: a boost for investment in build-to-rent
Just in time for Christmas, the Australian Treasurer announced a welcome change to the treatment of build-to-rent (BTR) projects under the foreign investment regime.
12 January 2024
Insight
Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets
Just when you thought the FIRB regime could not get more complex. Foreign investors in Australia will need to be prepared for new registration obligations under Australia’s foreign investment regime. The Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets (New Register) is expected to start operating on 1 July 2023.
23 March 2023
Publication
M&A in the City 2023
Coming into 2023, macro-economic headwinds - inflation, rising interest rates, and unrest overseas – are still lingering from the previous year. Will we see a renewed surge of M&A activity, will the market remain as is, or will we return to pre-2021 deal activity (or worse)? It’s anyone’s guess.
16 February 2023
Insight
The Dispatch: November 2022
Your regular wrap up of transactions and market insights.
30 November 2022
Insight
Should we lock them up? The Australian government’s 2022 list of critical technologies in the national interest
On 22 August the Federal Department of Industry and Resources (DISR) released a Consultation Paper setting out an updated list of current and emerging technologies that have the capacity to significantly enhance or pose risk to Australia’s national interest over the next decade (the List of Critical Technologies).
12 September 2022
Insight
The new Aged Care Bill passes – Reform of substance has arrived
On 2 August 2022, the Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response) Bill 2022 was passed (Aged Care Bill), introducing important regulatory changes to Australia’s aged care sector. The Bill makes numerous legislative amendments, including to the Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth) (Aged Care Act) and the Aged Care (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 (Cth) (Transitional Provisions Act), and responds to various recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Royal Commission) Final Report (Report). The Report identified the provision of substandard aged care services and perceived systemic failures in the aged care sector.[1]
08 August 2022
Insight
FIRB filing fees to double on 29 July 2022
If you are considering a transaction that may require a no objection notification from the Australian Treasurer (FIRB approval), contact your FIRB adviser to discuss your options and the timing.
22 July 2022
Insight
Significant Changes to the Merger Filing Thresholds in China
China’s Anti-Monopoly Law (AML) was enacted in 2008 and has remained largely unchanged until 24 June 2022 when a first amendment was introduced.
06 July 2022
Insight
Foreign investment in critical minerals - is FIRB really worried?
They can be - let us explain.
05 July 2022
Insight
Post-election update: changes in the health sector
In this alert, we look at key changes we can expect in the health sector following the election of a Labor Government.
26 May 2022
Insight
Federal Budget 2022-23: International
A key platform of the Budget is attracting migrant labour to cover skill shortages arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Budget seeks to achieve this by relaxing certain work restrictions for a range of visas and increasing country caps for work and holiday visas. The Government has also announced measures to promote inbound investment by reducing regulatory burdens for investors under Australia’s foreign investment framework. Much needed support to the tourism sector has also been announced.
29 March 2022
Insight
The Dispatch: February 2022
Welcome to the first Dispatch for 2022. While at this point in the year there aren’t (yet) many transactions to announce, everyone is naturally eager to understand how the markets are shaping up.
24 February 2022
Insight
Imported hybrid mismatch rule: Limited clarifications provided in final ATO guidance
Written by Jason Barnes, Sylvester Urban and Jack Anderson.
13 January 2022
Insight
Report from Project Atom – Australia’s wholesale CBDC experiment – released
Through examining both the CBDC and its use, Project Atom demonstrates the potential to improve operational efficiency, risk management and innovation in wholesale funding.
08 December 2021
Insight
Indonesia’s Harmonized Tax Law: A new tax regime for a modern world
Written by Greg Protektor, Azlan Mohamed Noh and Olivia Freeman.
25 October 2021
Insight
ACCC merger reforms: more revolution than evolution
The ACCC has just unveiled its long-awaited merger reform proposals. The economic impact of the proposals should not be underestimated, and needs to be fully tested before the debate takes a life of its own.
27 August 2021
Insight
What's the deal with merger reform? A deep dive into the perceived problem and possible solutions
Update: On 27 August, the ACCC unveiled its merger reform proposals. Read our latest report.
24 August 2021
Insight
China's Carbon Goals
China is poised to rollout a new national emissions trading scheme market demonstrating that China is committed to becoming a global leader in climate mitigation and renewable energy technologies. China's national strategy is to achieve peak levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 (the "3060 Target"). This represents a myriad of opportunities for non-Chinese businesses to invest and trade in the renewable energy and green finance sectors.
03 June 2021
Insight
Coming on strong: ATO requires strong measures to obtain CRS self-certifications
Written by Sylvester Urban and Nelson Phan.
17 May 2021
Insight
First Japan Investment Treaty Claim Renewable Energy Disputes In Asia
Written by Edwina Kwan, Amanda Lees, Patric McGonigal and Nick Horton
05 May 2021
Insight
China’s digital RMB – is your business ready?
China's launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) has become a question of when and not if. The more important question for businesses is: how do I get ready for a digital RMB? After all, digitising the currency of the world's most populous nation and second largest economy may well be one of the most important changes to the financial system since China invented paper money more than one thousand years ago. In this article, we unpack the key aspects of China's CBDC from an onshore and offshore perspective as it continues to unfold, and provide insight into the key issues to consider in engaging with this refreshed and reimagined currency infrastructure.
27 April 2021
Insight
Imported hybrid mismatch rule: Commissioner releases much anticipated guidance
This article was written by Jason Barnes, Sylvester Urban and Jack Anderson.
23 April 2021
Insight
China’s 14th Five-Year Plan — Key takeaways for financial services
This article was written by Stella Wang, Anne-Marie Neagle and Andrew Fei.
22 March 2021
Insight
Updates for State of Emergency in Myanmar
This article was written by Michael Lawson, Su Meng, Aaron Wolfson and David Phua.
01 March 2021
Publication
M&A in the City
As we face into 2021 with optimism, caution and in some respects battle hardened, we don't want to forget what 2020 taught us.
25 February 2021
Insight
China’s 14th Five-Year Plan: a blueprint for growth in complex times
This article was written by David Olsson.
09 February 2021
Insight
Briefing note for state of emergency in Myanmar
This article was written by Michael Lawson, Daisy Mallett, Su Meng and David Phua.
05 February 2021
Insight
Pre-COVID FIRB Thresholds to be Reinstated on 1 January 2021
This article was written by Malcolm Brennan, Caitlin Rodgers, Katie Haywood and Lily Shen.
11 December 2020
Insight
To stub or not to stub? ASIC hands down its view
This article was written by Mark McNamara, Lee Horan and Genovieve Lajeunesse.
19 October 2020
Insight
Major reforms to Australia’s foreign investment framework coming in 2021: Are we ‘paying’ too much for the national security fortress?
This article was written by Intan Eow & Malcolm Brennan.
02 October 2020
Insight
ACCC releases Murray-Darling Basin inquiry interim report
This article was written by Simon Cooke and Jeremy Tan.
06 August 2020
Insight
Government moves to restrict inappropriate Foreign Interference in Australian Universities
This article was written by Malcolm Brennan, Stephen Mason and Caitlin Rogers.
18 November 2019
Insight
Picking the lock(-up) – the contest for Pacific Energy
This article was written by Heath Lewis, David Friedlander and Gemma McMahon.
11 November 2019
Insight
APRA Capability Review June 2019 | More Experienced, Tougher And Transparent
This article was written by Sarah Yu.
09 August 2019
Insight
ACCC To Examine The Murray Darling Basin Water Markets
This article was written by Simon Cooke and Sharon Henrick.
09 August 2019
Publication
From Farm to Table: Guide to investing in Australian food & agribusiness
Food & agribusiness represents a key sector in Australia's economy, with over 100 years of innovation and productivity gains underpinning its continuing strength as a major driver of economic activity.
25 June 2019
Insight
New requirement for foreign purchases of agricultural land
This article was written by Malcolm Brennan, Katherine Yang and Caitlin Rodgers.
02 February 2018
Publication
ASEAN-Australia Special Summit – KWM’s response for CEO roundtable discussions
The ASEAN-Australia Special Summit presented a profound opportunity for Australian businesses to engage in a dialogue with our neighbours about deepening of our trade and investment relationships, and taking further steps to collaborate across key areas, resulting in increased regional security and prosperity.
01 February 2018
