BRISBANE FIRM AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE IN ITS FIRST YEAR

BRISBANE-based boutique corporate law firm Talbot Sayer has outranked Australia and New Zealand's top-tier firms by placing first in the Thomson Reuters league tables for deals up to $50 million in the first quarter of 2015, just 12 months after opening its doors.

The firm also placed equal first with Allens Linklaters and Herbert Smith Freehills in the league tables for deals up to $500 million in the same period.

Founding partners Oliver Talbot and Tim Sayer, who left national firm McCullough Robertson in early 2014, attribute the incredible volume of credited deals (11 in the last three months and 25 in the last year) to the firm's relentless focus on quality and value and the recruitment of a team of star young lawyers.

"We saw an opportunity to create a firm able to deliver top-tier quality advice and service but allow its clients to benefit from a lower cost structure," says Sayer.

"We didn't anticipate that the tough M&A market would provide an incredible recruitment opportunity, particularly at the junior end, where we now have a number of first class honours graduates and a university medallist.

"That sort of horsepower together with the experience of our senior lawyers is driving a lot of great outcomes for our clients."

Mark Sowerby, managing director of one of the firm's key clients, Blue Sky Alternative Investments, says Talbot Sayer's success was no surprise.

"Talbot Sayer is our 'go to' firm. The lawyers are technically excellent and identify all of the key issues, but unlike a lot of others they go the extra yard to find commercially-sensible solutions which help us achieve great outcomes," says Sowerby.

The firm has recently acted on a number of public company takeovers for clients including Firewire Surfboards and Guildford Coal.

Talbot Sayer's private equity practice also performed strongly with key transactions including Catapult Partners' acquisition of Navigation Holdings and Bailador Technology's investment in Ipro Solutions.

Other key clients include Mercury Capital, Black & White Cabs and Next Capital.

The firm was also ranked as one of Doyle's Leading Queensland Corporate Law Firms for 2015 (for Matters Under $250 million) and Oliver Talbot and Tim Sayer were listed as recommended lawyers.