Corrs Chambers Westgarth is betting hard on independence and private equity muscle to climb the deal tables in 2026.

Leading the charge are corporate and M&A head Sandy Mak and private equity partner Tim Gordon, who joined last year after 11 years at Gilbert + Tobin.

Corrs ranked sixth across Australasia in 2025, advising on 95 deals worth A$21.8bn, per Mergermarket data. The top five were taken by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, King & Wood Mallesons, Allens, Ashurst and Gilbert + Tobin.

“We are right up there with the best of them,” Mak said.

That ambition aligns with chief executive partner Gavin Maclaren’s push to make Corrs the “undisputed leader” in Australia on complex transactions and disputes.

Independence is central to that strategy. Mak says it’s a major drawcard on cross-border deals, particularly where offshore firms don’t want to brief competitors.

Private equity is the other pillar. With a strong PE team, Corrs believes it’s well placed when activity lifts. “I think it’s just a matter of time,” Mak said.

The platform leans heavily on regulatory strength too, with FIRB and competition capability forming a core part of the offering, alongside a willingness to work brutal time zones on offshore deals.

But the independence pool is about to get more crowded. From March, King & Wood Mallesons will unwind its Sino-Australian structure, with Mallesons returning as a standalone Australian firm and eyeing US deal flow.

Will that change the dynamic?

“It doesn’t change our strategy,” Mak said. “We wish them luck in the US.”

Source: Law.com