Data Centres – A modern digital asset class

Episode 1 - The M&A Deal Report 2026

In the first episode of our new series, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan unpack the key findings from Ashurst's recently released M&A Deal Report 2026.

Tony and Amelia take a close look at deal flows, shifting deal structures and the role of private capital. View the video to learn more.

Episode 2 - The new ACCC merger regime 

In this episode, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan meet with Alyssa Phillips, Partner in the Ashurst Competition Team, to discuss how the new Australian merger clearance regime is functioning in practice.

What's been catching people out, how is the ACCC managing the volume of applications, and what changes might we expect to see in the future? View the video to learn more.

Episode 3 - Pre-bid exclusivity

In this episode, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan discuss pre-bid exclusivity and what target boards should be thinking about when granting exclusivity to a prospective bidder at the pre-bid stage.

They discuss the differences between 'hard' and 'soft' exclusivity, look at the current Takeovers Panel guidance and its background, and cover some recent examples in the market. View the video to learn more.

Episode 4 - Boards and Takeovers

In this episode, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan talk with John O'Sullivan, a well-known M&A practitioner, chairman and company director with decades of deal experience.

JO'S shares his insights on takeover approaches: how to navigate those critical first steps and the importance of good preparation.

He also reflects on the influence of institutional shareholders, offers some do's and don'ts for potential bidders, and, as an unabashed fan, provides his thoughts on the role of the Takeovers Panel.

Episode 5 - Emma Rapaport, Street Talk

In this episode, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan are joined by special guest Emma Rapaport, Co-Editor of the Australian Financial Review's famed (and feared) Street Talk column.

Emma reflects on Street Talk's reputation and influence in the Australian market, the unique role it plays, and the responsibility that comes with it.

She unpacks a day in the life of a Street Talk journalist - including how sources and stories are managed on a daily basis.

Finally, Emma offers some observations on where the market is at, some brights spots to keep an eye on and the importance of sentiment in driving market activity more generally.

Hell, high water or handshakes

Tony Damian and Sharon Liu (with special thanks to John McKellar) consider the spectrum of 'endeavours obligations' on bidders to fulfil regulatory conditions in M&A deals, noting the recent Delaware Court decision in Desktop v Nano.

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Say what you mean and mean what you say – sticking to the 'truth in takeovers'

Ben Stewart and Daniel Lucanus put the Takeovers Panel's recent Dropsuite decision in context and survey what bidders, targets and market participants need to know about how the Panel applies ASIC's 'truth in takeovers' policy.

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A bridge over troubled disclosures

Susannah Macknay and Davy Hu consider two recent cases that deal with disclosure in due diligence processes and highlight the need for holistic consideration of what constitutes 'fair disclosure' of information in a transaction process.