King & Wood Mallesons

The leading forum for Australia’s top dealmakers is back! This year’s M&A Conference (10 & 12 September) kicks off with an exclusive podcast – don’t miss top dealmakers from host firms King & Wood Mallesons, Allens and Herbert Smith Freehills in conversation with the AFR’s Chanticleer columnists. To be followed by 4 dynamic panel sessions, exploring the key highlights and conditions for the year ahead in M&A activity. Register at https://lnkd.in/g7cCrk8Y

Today our Chief Executive Partner Renae Lattey spoke about the extraordinary investment opportunities across our region at The Australian Financial Review’s Asia Summit.   Renae joined the ‘Deals and Dollars’ panel alongside Hirohide Hirai Hitachi Vice President & Executive Officer, Mark Whelan ANZ Group Executive Institutional and Louise Adams Business Champion for Vietnam. Vesna Poljak moderated the discussion on how businesses and governments can navigate the challenges posed by protectionist and industrial policies, decoupling and technological competition.   Despite the overarching trend, everyone agreed that pockets of strong economic activity persist in Asia – from tech, to energy transition to digital infrastructure. Ultimately, businesses that can navigate the potential challenges are poised for success. Find out more in our recent insight: https://lnkd.in/ehqnpeqD #AFRAsiaSummit #MandA #KWMDeals

Johor - the Malaysian state minutes from Singapore - is capturing the attention of investors and tech giants. Amid the global data centre goldrush, its strategic location and supportive policies are driving growth. Johor shows how quickly an economy can capitalise on digital transformation – but how can we find a need for green, not just speed? Partners Daryl Cox, Nicola Yeomans and Scott Gardiner share their views in our latest insight: https://ow.ly/OksQ50Taj6L For more trends emerging across Asia, join us at The Australian Financial Review’s Asia Summit this coming Tuesday, September 3: https://ow.ly/swOk50TajRK #AFRAsiaSummit #DataCentre #KWMClimate

KWM is pleased to have advised CMB Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CMBFL”) on the leasing of two Airbus A320ceo aircraft to FlyArystan, a subsidiary of Astana, the flagship airline in Kazakhstan. This milestone Belt and Road Initiative deal represents CMBFL’s first lease agreement with Astana, supporting their business expansion in the region. KWM’s aviation and cross-border transaction expertise was crucial in ensuring a seamless execution, and played a key role in navigating the complexities of this transaction. The KWM team was led by Katherine Ke, with support from Daphne Tso. https://ow.ly/8Jnu50T9u35 #aircraftleasing #FlyArystan #aviation #beltandroad

Deal timelines, elections and the surprise (hint: hot) jurisdiction for M&A. What did King & Wood Mallesons Chairman David Friedlander share about M&A in Ansarada’s 24-25 M&A Outlook? https://lnkd.in/gGTy6YZu

How is business harnessing the power of generative AI, and how can we create a more cyber resilient Australia? Here are the takeaways from today’s #kwmdigitalfuturesummit where we explored these topics.    If you missed today’s sessions, watch Day 3 of the #kwmdigitalfuturesummit on-demand at: https://lnkd.in/gGTCDqtE   ▪ CBA’s Dan Jermyn, Telstra’s Dayle Stevens OAM, and KWM’s Michelle Mahoney and Bryony Evans shared how Telstra, CBA and KWM are using GenAI and practical challenges and tips. ▪ What’s clear is that everyone, including executive leadership, should be hands-on and experiment with GenAI to make decisions and set strategies. There’s an opportunity for organisations to be leaders in this space.  ▪ Cheng Lim spoke with Lieutenant-General Michelle McGuinness, CSC, who emphasised ‘Cyber is everyone’s business – we will harden if we all do simple things.’ - it should be discussed across all levels of an organisation and everyone should be empowered to play a role.   ▪ Businesses should practice incident response scenarios and learn lessons from others to be fully prepared. When an incident occurs, effective communication is crucial. ‘Notification is really important and removing unnecessary fear from the community… and notifying the ACSC before it's made public is super important, where possible.’ You can do the best incident response, but if you fail to communicate well, then ‘it probably doesn’t matter in terms of your reputation.’

Week 2 of the #kwmdigitalfuturesummit is here! And we are excited to put the spotlight on another key theme - the tech-driven energy transition. In this video Aaron Brooks shares the new changes we are seeing in the world of Consumer Energy Resources for not only business but homes across Australia. Curious to learn more? We have TWO sessions for you: Session 10, where Australian Energy Market Commission Chair Anna Collyer and KWM’s Shirley Cheng will unpack all you need to know about the energy transition. And Session 11, featuring KWM’s Jess Kruger in conversation with industry insiders Wes Ballantine and Tim Washington on the CER revolution. Register at: https://lnkd.in/gdSC-pBD   #energytransition #consumerenergyresources #solar #batteries

The KWM Digital Future Summit continued with Day 2 as we dove into the dynamic worlds of digital finance and AI and the regulatory frameworks that shape them.    If you missed out on today’s #kwmdigitalfuturesummit sessions, you can watch on-demand at: https://lnkd.in/gGTCDqtE   Today's takeaways include: ▪  Greg Medcraft on how tokenising real-world assets is revolutionising finance and the “danger of crisis” when innovation outpaces regulation. ▪  Kris Marszalek on the need for consumer-focused regulation in crypto and Jessica Mila Schutzman, on preventing bad actors from accessing "honeypots of data". ▪  ASIC Chair, Joseph Longo, stresses the importance of preventing consumer harms related to AI, advocating for innovation with an equal measure of accountability. And not to forget there are existing laws that may apply to harms from use of AI. His call out to directors and business leaders: “Do the work, be curious” now about the data and technology their business is using to mitigate enforcement risks - don’t wait for regulators.   ▪  Kate Bower, Fernando Mourão and Jeannie Marie Paterson on key elements of AI governance: integrating existing frameworks, providing flexible governance to address risk on different levels, and acknowledging and addressing the impact that GenAI has on employees and customers. The upshot? Don’t hold back – explore, trial, and test existing tools and ensure you're complying with existing laws and regulations! AI governance is not only about building trust but maintaining it - education and conversations are critical!

That’s Day 1 of the KWM Digital Future Summit done and dusted! We were honoured to host speakers for insightful discussions on the mega trends and regulatory perspectives shaping our digital economy and innovation in tech.  If you missed out on today’s sessions, you can watch Day 1 of the #kwmdigitalfuturesummit on-demand at: https://lnkd.in/gGTCDqtE Here’s what we learnt about the critical issues of competition, eSafety and privacy:   ▪  Leading with ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb on consumer protection: With its new digital platform oversight, the ACCC remains steadfast in protecting consumers and ensuring competition thrives. Consumer trust is critical for fair competition.   ▪  The ACCC welcomes innovation from established digital platforms and are tracking key players and trends, focusing on long-term issues rather than short-term distractions.   ▪  Then onto conversations about privacy in a data-driven world: The OAIC underscores a 'perfect storm' of risks emerging from data breaches, supply chain vulnerabilities and the rush to harness AI. The overarching call is for a robust Privacy Act that covers all layers of business in our economy.   ▪  Former Information Commissioner Angelene Falk emphasised, “technological change has been just so dramatic…they've caused incredible public benefit, but at the same time they have increased privacy risks.” It's clear: as technology races ahead, our privacy frameworks must sprint to catch up.    ▪  Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind highlighted the dual-edge of compliance: “...the real reputational impact, as well as legal impact, of not complying with the Privacy Act,” is a powerful motivator for businesses to prioritise privacy.    ▪  And to finish the day, critical analysis on making e-Safety a first concern: Online safety is too often an afterthought. The current 'whack-a-mole' approach, focusing on takedowns and regulation, needs to evolve. Service providers must weave safety into the fabric of their design processes.    ▪  Transparency is more than just good practice; it's the linchpin of accountability. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman - Grant says that without transparency, holding companies accountable for online safety becomes a challenge.    ▪  There's a bipartisan consensus on the need for online safety in Australia, with discussions revolving around how to reconcile freedom of expression with the need to mitigate targeted online harassment.  

The Asia-Pacific offers a mosaic of diverse investment opportunities, and as we look to the future Australian businesses are poised to benefit. That future favours the informed and the strategic - qualities Australian investors have in spades. The key lies in understanding local markets – from regulatory settings and competitive dynamics to the possible impacts of policy decisions. So, how can businesses navigate the complexities of international M&A, turning obstacles into opportunities? What role can government play? David Friedlander, Renae Lattey and Michael Lawson share their insights ahead of The Australian Financial Review Asia Summit. https://ow.ly/Prv450T2JFK #KWMDeals #MandA #AFRAsiaSummit