Biography

    Ben is a partner in Gilbert + Tobin's Corporate Advisory/M+A group in Melbourne.

    He specialises in mergers and acquisitions, energy/resources, foreign investment and corporate law. He regularly advises on cross border M&A, foreign investment / FIRB, joint ventures, directors duties, corporate governance and ESG matters. His clients include listed companies, global companies, private equity groups and start-ups.

    Ben has spent time working at a pre-eminent law firm in London and leading global investment banks.

    Ben is a member of the Melbourne University Law School Advisory Council.

    Ben has bachelor’s degrees in law (Honours) and Commerce (Honours in Economics) from the University of Melbourne. He is admitted to practice in Victoria and England and Wales.

    Ben’s experience includes advising:

    • Orica on its $400 million equity capital raising to fund its acquisition of Cyanco for US$640 million.
    • Neptune Energy Group shareholders on the sale of Neptune Energy Group to Eni and Vår Energi for US$4.9 billion.
    • Orica on its acquisition of Terra Insights for an enterprise value of CAD$505m.
    • Dulux Group on its acquisition of Pental’s consumer products business and the Shepparton plant for $60 million.
    • Tabcorp on its sale of MAX Performance Solutions for $21.3 million.
    • Orica on its acquisition of Axis Mining Technology for $260 million (+earn out) and its $650 million equity capital raising to fund the acquisition and to provide balance sheet capacity.
    • Tabcorp on its sale of eBet to Venue Digital Technology Pty Ltd.
    • Orica on the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub project with Origin.
    • Cleanaway on its $170 million acquisition of Global Renewable Holdings.
    • Orica on its $180 million sale of its Minova business to Aurelius Group.
    • BGH consortium on its $2.3 billion acquisition of Navitas by scheme of arrangement.
    • Jadestone Energy on its US$195 million acquisition of the Montara oil field from PTTEP.
    • Neptune Energy on its US$3.9 billion acquisition of ENGIE’s E&P assets.
    • Ansell on the US$600 million sale of its global sexual wellness business to Humanwell Group and CITIC.
    • Orica on the separation and sale of its global chemicals business to funds advised by Blackstone for A$750 million.
    • Olam International on its US$1.3 billion acquisition of ADM's worldwide cocoa business.
    • Castleton Commodities on its secured interest in the Northern Endeavour FPSO.
    • Bidder for BMA’s Queensland coal assets.
    • ConnectEast on corporate governance and restructuring matters.
    • Jadestone Energy on its acquisition of the Stag oil field from Santos and Quadrant Energy.
    • Orica on joint venture and marketing arrangements for an ammonium nitrate plant with Yara in the Pilbara.
    • Detector Technology (a portfolio company of Ampersand Capital Partners) on its acquisition of ETP Ion Detect.
    • Ansell on its acquisition of Ringer Gloves.
    • Ixom on its acquisition of Australian Botanical Products and LogiChem.
    • LocalAgentFinder on capital raising, commercial contracting and corporate governance matters.
    • MoneyPlace on capital raising and corporate governance matters and on its sale to Liberty Financial.
    • Aquis on its proposed A$270 million takeover of the Reef Casino Trust and Canberra Casino.
    • Origin Energy and Sasol Petroleum on their joint farm-in to the Beetaloo Basin.
    • Uriel Aviation on its acquisition of Zuji on-line travel bookings businesses in Hong Kong and Singapore.
    • CDH Fund V on the acquisition of an abattoir business.
    • Lothian Pension Fund on its acquisition of Australian forestry assets.
    • iSelect on its IPO and ASX Listing and acquisition of EnergyWatch.
    • IFM on co-investor arrangements for the $5.07 billion acquisition of the long-term leases of Port Botany and Port Kembla.
    • Asahi on the acquisition, via its subsidiary Schweppes Australia, of Australian water businesses.
    • Bidder for Joe White Maltings, Australia’s largest malt producer.
    • Bidder for ANZ Terminals, a bulk liquid storage terminals business.
    • OfficeMax on its acquisition of Complete Print Solutions and Fox Print Solutions.
    • Lothian Pension Fund on its acquisition of Australian forestry assets.
    • Centennial Coal on the sale of the Anvil Hill coal mine project and an 86% interest in the Tahmoor coal mine for $1.1 billion.
    • Tata Steel's response to Rio Tinto’s $3.9 billion offer for Riversdale Mining.
    • CGNPC led consortium's ~£632 million offer for Kalahari Minerals plc and $2.2 billion follow-on offer for Extract Resources.
    • Xstrata on its $514 million takeover offer for Sphere Minerals.
    • Newcrest Mining on its US$535 million investment in Harmony Gold Mining's PNG assets.
    • AED Oil on the sale of 60% of its West Timor Sea oil fields to Sinopec for US$561 million
    • Babcock & Brown Infrastructure's $1.5 billion recapitalisation and sale of a 49.9% interest in the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal to Brookfield Asset Management.
    • Orica on the sale of its interest in Qenos to China National Chemical Corp.
    • Santos on the sale and purchase of various upstream oil & gas assets.
    • Orica on its acquisition of Dyno Nobel's businesses in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America for $900 million.
    • Alinta Energy on its acquisition of Australian and NZ gas and power generation assets for $1.69 billion.
    • PetroCanada on its acquisition of the upstream oil and gas assets of Veba Oil and Gas from Veba and BP for Cdn $3.2 billion.

    Ben was recognised in the areas of Commercial Law, Corporate/Governance Practice, Corporate Law, Financial Institutions and Mergers and Acquisitions Law

    BEST LAWYERS 2025

    Ben was recognised in the areas of Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Corporate Law, Financial Institutions, Commercial Law and Energy Law.

    BEST LAWYERS AUSTRALIA 2023

    Ben was recognised in the Corporate and M&A category.

    Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019