Image of Tony Sparks

Tony Sparks

Partner

Email

tony.sparks@aoshearman.com

Phone

+61 2 9373 7879

Offices

Sydney

V-CARD
Tony provides a wide range of corporate and securities law advice including on equity capital markets; mergers and acquisitions; public and private capital; corporate advisory and governance matters. 

He regularly advises corporates, lead managers, sponsors, boards and major shareholders on transformational, market leading and award-winning transactions. He is recognized as one of Australia' s leading ECM lawyers.
 
Tony has been the lead partner on Australasian Law Awards winning or shortlisted deals every year since 2016 and is a previous 'Lawyer of the Year' for ECM in Best Lawyers in Australia. He is also included for M&A, Corporate Law, Corporate Governance and Financial Institutions.
 
He is listed as a leading lawyer for capital markets in all major directories including Chambers Asia Pacific (Band 1), Legal 500 (Asia Pacific) (included in the 'Hall of Fame'), IFLR 1000 and the International Who's Who of Capital Markets Lawyers.
 
Tony leads A&O Shearman's Australian ECM offering and is Chair of the APAC ECM Focus Group.

Experience

Representative matters

Representative ECM experience:
  • Orora Limited’s A$1.35 billion entitlement offer and placement to fund the acquisition of French glassmaker Saverglass in 2023, acting for the lead managers. 
  • Orica Limited’s A$650 million placement ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year’ (Australasian Law Awards (ALA) 2023 Excellence Award), acting for the lead managers. 
  • PEXA Group Limited’s A$1.17 billion IPO ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year’ (ALA 2022 Winner), acting for PEXA. 
  • IOOF Limited’s combined COVID super-sized placement and ANREO ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year’ (ALA 2021 Winner), acting for IOOF. 
  • Life 360's IPO ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year’ (ALA 2020 Finalist), acting for the lead managers. 
  • PEXA's dual track IPO/trade sale process ‘M&A Deal of the Year’ (ALA 2019 Finalist), acting for PEXA. 
  • Transurban Limited’s various PAITREOs, including ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year’ (ALA 2019 Winner), acting for the lead managers. 
  • Lattice Energy’s (dual track IPO/trade sale) ‘Energy & Resources Deal of the Year’ (ALA 2018 Winner), acting for the lead managers. 
  • Moly-Cop’s dual track IPO/trade sale ‘Insolvency & Restructuring Deal of the Year’ (ALA 2017 Finalist), acting for the lead managers. 
Representative M&A experience: 
  • Pacific Equity Partners’ A$252 million acquisition of ASX listed Healthia by way of scheme of arrangement. 
  • Simon Bligh & Associates acquisition of unclaimed assets business of Worthington Clark 
  • Property Exchange Australia’s two dual track trade sale processes. 
  • MIRA/PSP consortium on its acquisition of the South Australian Government's Land Services Group (and earlier bid for NSW Land and Property Information) 
  • Aura Funds acquisition of Telstra Phonewords. 
  • The bidder for Tricor Holding’s Asian corporate services business. 
  • HKEx listed Lei Shing Hong's acquisitions of various Mercedes-Benz car dealerships in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. 

Published Work

  • Co-author, Due Diligence Planning Memorandum for IPOs, Australian Financial Markets Association

Leadership Positions And Professional Affiliations

Committee Member, Corporations Committee of the Law Council of Australia (Business Law Section)

Awards

  • ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year - Excellence Award’, Australasian Law Awards 2023 (Orica Limited’s A$650 million placement) 
  • ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year – Winner’, Australasian Law Awards 2022 (PEXA Group Limited dual track IPO/trade sale process) 
  • ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year – Winner’, Australasian Law Awards 2021 (IOOF Limited Combined COVID super-sized placement and ANREO) 
  • ‘M&A Deal of the Year – Finalist’ and ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year – Finalist’, Australasian Law Awards 2020 (PEXA’s dual track trade sale and Life 360's IPO) 
  • ‘Equity Market Deal of the Year – Winner’, Australasian Law Awards 2019 (Transurban Limited’s PAITREO) 
  • ‘Energy & Resources Deal of the Year - Winner’, Australasian Law Awards 2018 (Lattice Energy’s dual track IPO/trade sale) 

Qualifications

Admissions

New South Wales, Australia, 2000

England and Wales, 1996

Academic

LLB Law, Exeter University, 1990

LPAB Graduate Diploma in Law, University of Sydney, 1999

Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance, Financial Services Institute of Australasia, 2005

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.