In this edition of Capital Call, we meet Sharon Liu – Sharon started with the firm in 2014 and has advised on a number of high-profile M&A transactions in Australia. She frequently acts for both listed companies and private capital clients across a variety of sectors and also offers a depth of sponsor-side insight having spent time in Ashurst's Global Investment Funds practice in London.
Q1: The firm has just combined to form Ashurst Perkins Coie – a significant milestone. What are you most looking forward to as part of this new chapter?
It is genuinely exciting. Combining with Perkins Coie gives us something that is quite rare – a truly integrated platform across the US, Asia-Pacific, and EMEA, with deep sector expertise. For our private equity practice, the US private equity market is obviously enormous, and having colleagues on the ground who understand that market intimately opens up opportunities that would have been much harder to pursue before. We have already hit the ground running with a number of mandates across the pond.
From a client perspective, I think the combination is incredibly compelling. Many of the sponsors and corporates I work with are already deploying capital across multiple jurisdictions, and being able to offer seamless, joined-up advice across the US and Australia is a meaningful differentiator. Beyond that, it is about culture – joining with a firm that shares the same strong commitment to innovation and client delivery means we can genuinely draw on the best of both practices.
Q2: Sharon, as one of the firm's newly promoted partners, what are you looking forward to in the year ahead?
Private equity activity will continue to build momentum, with sponsors pursuing disciplined buy-and-build strategies and an increasing focus on platform-led deals. What excites me is that the deal landscape is in constant evolution - structures are becoming more inventive, and the regulatory environment continues to present novel challenges.
At the same time, AI is moving well beyond a technology theme to become a genuine value-creation lever, shaping both investment decisions and post-acquisition operating strategies. The cumulative effect is that transactions are growing in complexity, requiring closer integration between corporate, regulatory, and sector expertise. That is one of the things I find most rewarding about this work, and I am always keen to learn about how our clients are deploying AI in ways that drive measurable impact across their businesses.
Q3: And on a rather different note – congratulations on your recent wedding! Has the Italian way of life made a lasting impression?
Thank you – it was absolutely fantastic. Tuscany has a way of forcing you to slow down, which is no bad thing when you spend most of your time on deal timetables. The food and wine were also all predictably excellent. But I couldn't stay away for too long – we have a busy pipeline ahead.
