Senior Counsel, Competition & M&A, 14 years
Kerrigan Partners · Melbourne, VIC · 14 years experience
About
Transactional lawyer advising mid-market corporates and private capital on M&A, joint ventures, and ACCC notifications across consumer, industrial, and healthcare sectors. Fourteen years across top-tier firms with an in-house secondment at an ASX 200 acquirer. Recent matters include cross-border acquisitions into South East Asia, merger clearance for an agri-processing joint venture, and carve-out divestments for a listed industrials group. Admitted in Victoria and New South Wales; member of the Competition and Consumer Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.
Expertise
Sector Experience
Skills & Recognition
Software & Tools
Standards & Methodologies
Languages
Qualifications & Registrations
Academic Qualifications
Juris Doctor, Law
2011University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Commerce, Economics
2008Australian National University
Experience
Principal
2022–PresentKerrigan Partners
Independent boutique advising on transactional matters and regulatory clearance. Retained as panel counsel by two ASX 300 issuers.
Senior Associate, Corporate M&A
2014–2022Herbert Smith Freehills
Lead associate on eight public-company transactions totalling c. $4bn in consideration. Secondment to client CFO's office in 2020.
Project History
ACCC merger clearance for a listed healthcare acquisition
2024ASX-listed healthcare group (confidential) · Legal & Compliance
Represented an ASX-listed acquirer in the informal clearance process for the acquisition of a national healthcare services provider. Drafted the market-definition submission, handled information-request responses across four rounds, and led the verbal presentation to the commission.
Public-to-private take-private, scheme of arrangement
2023Private equity sponsor (confidential) · Financial Services
Advised the bidder on an A$850M public-to-private transaction by scheme. Led the scheme-booklet competition and regulatory disclosures and negotiated the interim-restrictions package with target counsel.
Projects / Case Studies
Standout projects from Catherine's career, with the challenge, approach, and outcome for each.
ACCC informal clearance for an agri-processing joint venture
2024ASX-listed industrial group · Financial Services
Lead counsel, competition clearanceOversight
Lead counsel on competition review for a c. $180m joint venture between two regional oilseed processors.
Challenge
Overlapping regional market shares risked a substantive-lessening-of-competition concern; timelines tight with a conditional deal.
Solution
Coordinated economic expert evidence on market definition and ran a three-round informal clearance dialogue with the ACCC, including targeted behavioural undertakings on grower contracting.
Outcome
Clearance granted within 14 weeks of initial notification. Transaction completed on original economic terms.
Similar professionals
Example profile
This profile is seed content to demonstrate how profiles work. It isn't accepting enquiries. Real profiles will have a live enquiry form here.
See more example profiles