Regarded for its position in the big tech space, Corrs Chambers Westgarth’s team provides a full-service offering and regularly advises private sector companies, governments, and international trade bodies. Mark McCowan leads the competition practice and regularly handles merger clearances, investigations and inquiries, and litigation cases. Leading the trade practice is Andrew Korbel, who has longstanding experience advising government and practice sector entities in commercial disputes and trade investigations. Another important member of the team includes Ian Reynolds, who stands out for advising on international merger clearances. In September 2024, Caroline Marshall joined the firm as a partner, with deep knowledge of anti-bribery, corruption, and sanction matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The Corrs team consistently delivers high quality, practical and commercial advice. What sets them apart from other firms is their deep knowledge of both the tech industry as well as our business.’
‘The individuals I have worked with at Corrs have been collaborative partners - taking time to understand our business, what we care about and how we think about risk. They are responsive and often provide work within tight deadlines.’
‘Regulatory expertise and professionalism.’
‘Commercial and insightful team with good industry knowledge and good relationships across the other practice areas.’
‘Mark McCowan has incredible technical knowledge and a good understanding of how to navigate the challenges of the ACCC within a commercial framework. Ian Reynolds in Melbourne is also great with strong relationships with ACCC and a 'roll up the sleeves' can do attitude.’
‘The firm has many experts in the area. They also have practical experience working with regulators. This means interactions between government and clients can be well facilitated.'
‘A common characteristic is that partners do not only supervise the work of the team but also take a hands on role. Hence great experience is brought to bear on all issues involved in the matter.’
‘Corrs are my go-to firm for any Australian work and my first recommendation for Australian counsel to any of my clients. They are exceptionally responsive and give clear, pragmatic, and actionable advice.’
'Expertise in ACCC investigations and litigation.'
'Standout partner is Mark McCowan with an ability to distill complex issues and communicate well to non-lawyers.'
Key clients
- REA Group Ltd
- Stockland Supalai Residential Communities Partnership Pty Ltd
- TPG Telecom
- Meta
- HashiCorp
- Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A.
- DAZN Group Limited
- Wesfarmers Chemical, Energy & Fertilisers Limited
- Zashvin Pty. Ltd. and PT Bukit Makmur International
- Australian Sustainable Finance Institute
- M Resources Pty Ltd
- Press Metal Group
Work highlights
Advising Meta on its defence of a class action claim brought on behalf of members of the cryptocurrency industry alleging that Meta and Google engaged in cartel conduct.
Advised Stockland Supalai Residential Communities Partnership Pty Ltd, a joint venture between Stockland Corporation limited (50.1%) and Supalai PCL (49.9%), on its acquisition of parts of the Lendlease Group residential masterplanned communities business in Australia including a portfolio of 12 MPC development assets.
Advised HashiCorp, a NASDAQ-listed leading provider of automation and security software for cloud infrastructure, on its USD6.4bn sale to IBM, a NYSE-listed leading provider of information technology, cloud software and technology consulting services.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Mark McCowan; Andrew Korbel
Other key lawyers
Ian Reynolds; Caroline Marshall