A market-leading M&A lawyer, Sandy acts for both corporate and private equity clients across the globe on cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, foreign investment, equity raisings, buy-backs and restructurings.
She also advises on ASIC and ASX regulatory work, foreign investment regulations and corporate governance issues.
Sandy has consistently been listed as a leading lawyer by legal directories and publications including Chambers and Partners and Best Lawyers.
She was recognised in 2024 as a Dealmaker of the Year in Australasian Lawyer and Dealmaker of the Year in the Women in Law Awards. Sandy was 2023 Australian Dealmaker of the Year at the Australasian Law Awards. In 2022, she was named Dealmaker of the Year in the Women in Law Awards, and in 2020 she was named Dealmaker of the Year in both the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards and Women in Law Awards.
She is a guest lecturer at UNSW Law School in the subject of Takeovers and Capital Markets, and also lectures in Sydney University’s Masters of Law subject Takeovers and Reconstructions. She is the Takeovers and Acquisitions and Fundraising for Securities editor for the Halsburys Laws of Australia guide and is also a member of the Corporations Committee of the Law Council of Australia.
In 2024, Sandy was reappointed by the Treasurer to the Takeovers Panel for a second three-year term.
Key deals
Domain Group
Advising CoStar Group Inc on its overnight market raid to acquire 19% of the ASX-listed online real estate listing company, Domain, and its $1.7 billion offer to acquire all of the shares of Domain by way of scheme of arrangement.
CSR Limited
Advising Compagnie de Saint-Gobain on its successful $4.3 billion acquisition of ASX-listed building products company, CSR Limited, by way of scheme of arrangement (Awarded M&A Deal of the Year – Mergermarket M&A Awards Australia 2024).
Hancock Energy
Advising Hancock Energy on its hostile off-market takeover bid, defeating a number of rival bidders to successfully acquire 100% of ASX-listed Warrego Energy Limited (Awarded Mid-Market M&A Deal of the Year – Mergermarket M&A Awards Australia 2023).
Coca-Cola European Partners plc
Advising Coca-Cola European Partners plc on its proposed acquisition by way of a scheme of arrangement of ASX-listed Coca-Cola Amatil Limited, valued at A$11.1 billion.
ESR Group
Advising Warburg Pincus-backed ESR Group on its unsolicited A$755 million off-market takeover of ASX-listed REIT Propertylink Group, following from ESR’s on-market raid of 19.89% of Propertylink Group.
YTL
Advising YTL Power International Berhad on the sale of its 33.5% stake in ElectraNet to Australian Utilities Trust for A$1.026 billion.
Affinity Education Limited
Advising Affinity Education on its successful defence and takeover panel proceedings in relation to a hostile takeover bid by G8 Education Limited and its subsequent takeover by scheme of arrangement with private equity house Anchorage Capital Limited.
Dollarama
Advised Dollarama on its A$259 million acquisition of 100% of the shares in The Reject Shop Limited by way of a scheme of arrangement.