Atanaskovic Hartnell

What Atanaskovic Hartnell does

Atanaskovic Hartnell is a boutique corporate law firm headquartered in Sydney, Australia, founded in 2012 by John Atanaskovic and Tony Hartnell. The firm specializes in corporate, finance, and taxation law with deep expertise across mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, commercial litigation, private equity, foreign investment, competition law, and sector-specific advisory in media, infrastructure, mining, and hospitality. It operates as a partnership with approximately five to seven partners supported by a lean bench of associates and support staff, with services delivered exclusively through direct partner involvement in small focused teams — a model explicitly contrasted with the junior-heavy leverage model of mega-firms.

The firm's revenue model is traditional professional-services billing, charging hourly or matter-based fees for complex transactions and advisory work, with no publicly disclosed fee schedules. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by partner relationships and reputation rather than active marketing, supplemented by thought-leadership contributions to publications such as ICLG Mergers and Acquisitions Reports and Practical Law. The client base consists of ASX-listed corporates, multinationals, financial institutions, government agencies (via the Commonwealth Legal Services Multi-Use List), and high-profile individuals on landmark transactions including the US$90 billion Glencore-Xstrata merger and the A$3.5 billion James Hardie asbestos compensation fund.

The firm maintains a Sydney headquarters and a London office at 7 Rose Square, enabling UK and cross-border transaction capability through a team that includes UK-qualified lawyers from major London firms. Ownership rests with the founding and current partners, with no external investors, PE/VC backing, or parent-company structure. Key recent developments include the transition of co-founder Tony Hartnell to consultant and the departures of partners Paul Springthorpe (to the NSW Bar) and Danny Farrugia (to Aequus Counsel). The firm is recognized as pre-eminent in Australian M&A and commercial law, with founding partner John Atanaskovic rated by Chambers Global as Australia's leading business lawyer.

Name

Atanaskovic Hartnell

Legal name

Atanaskovic Hartnell

Website

https://ah.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Atanaskovic Hartnell is a boutique Sydney-founded corporate law firm specializing in M&A, capital markets, and commercial law, serving ASX-listed corporates, multinationals, and government clients through partner-led teams across Sydney and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Commercial Law (BPAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL), Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Corporate legal advisory
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Capital markets law
• Commercial litigation
• Regulatory compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Fees: Traditional law firm revenue through professional fees charged for legal services including corporate advisory, M&A transactions, litigation, and regulatory work. Fee structures include hourly rates and matter-based arrangements for complex transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Atanaskovic Hartnell is a boutique law firm providing specialized legal advisory services in corporate, finance, and taxation law. The firm delivers partner-led legal advice on complex M&A transactions, corporate governance, capital markets, commercial litigation, regulatory matters, and specialized sectors including media, telecommunications, infrastructure, natural resources, and hospitality. All matters are staffed by experienced lawyers with direct partner involvement.

Product overview

Atanaskovic Hartnell is a law firm providing specialized legal services in corporate, commercial, and finance law. The firm operates as a unified offering centered on its core practice areas, with no modular software products. The practice encompasses multiple interconnected legal disciplines: Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory, Corporate and Commercial Law, Commercial Litigation, Finance, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Funds Management, Foreign Investment, IT/Telecom/Media, Infrastructure and Construction, Natural Resources, Hospitality and Tourism, Government and Public Law, and Competition and Trade Practices. All services are delivered through direct partner involvement in client matters with small focused teams of experienced lawyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory Legal advisory services for public and private M&A transactions, including business sales, purchases, joint ventures, and takeover transactions across Australian and international markets.
• Corporate and Commercial Law Corporate law services covering capital markets, corporate governance, securities regulation, and general commercial transactions.
• Commercial Litigation Dispute resolution services including litigation, arbitration, mediation, and regulatory proceedings in corporate and commercial matters.
• Finance and Structured Finance Advisory on financing transactions, project finance, structured finance, tax-effective financing, and infrastructure investment.
• Private Equity and Venture Capital

Quantifiable outcome

• Led landmark transactions including US$90 billion Glencore-Xstrata merger, A$8 billion Coca-Cola Amatil acquisition, and numerous A$1+ billion transactions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Commonwealth Government Legal ServicescoreOthersAH is appointed to the Commonwealth Government's Legal Services Multi-Use List, enabling the firm to provide legal services to Commonwealth government agencies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Allens: Full-service Australian law firm with deep M&A, securities, and finance capability and historical links to AH through Tony Hartnell's prior partnership at predecessor firm Allen Allen & Hemsley; represents the mega-firm incumbent AH competes against.
• King & Wood Mallesons: Largest Australian-headquartered global law firm with leading M&A, capital markets, and infrastructure practices; the principal full-service incumbent competing for the same flagship Australian corporate mandates.
• Ashurst: Global law firm with substantial Australian M&A, energy, and infrastructure practices; directly competes with AH on cross-border and sector-driven transactions.
• Clayton Utz: Major Australian full-service firm with strong corporate, M&A, and regulatory practices; competes with AH for premium listed-company mandates and government work.
• Herbert Smith Freehills: Top-tier Australian and global firm with deep M&A, regulatory, and resources practices; overlaps directly with AH on large takeovers, FIRB matters, and cross-border deals.
• Corrs Chambers Westgarth: Australian full-service firm with leading M&A, infrastructure, and resources capabilities; overlaps with AH on large corporate transactions and sector-focused mandates.
• MinterEllison: Major Australian full-service firm with significant corporate, M&A, and government practices; competes with AH on listed-company and Commonwealth advisory mandates.

Direct peers

• Gilbert + Tobin: Sydney-based Australian boutique firm with comparable M&A, corporate, and capital-markets focus and a similar strategy of competing against mega-firms through senior-led, partner-involved teams on major transactions.
• Arnold Bloch Leibler: Melbourne-headquartered boutique recognised for high-end corporate, M&A, and disputes work for major corporates and prominent families; directly comparable as a partner-led Australian corporate boutique.

Regional players

• Lander & Rogers: Australian full-service firm with strong corporate and commercial practices, competing for mid- to upper-market mandates that are a step below AH's typical blue-chip roster but overlapping in sector coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atanaskovic-hartnell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atanaskovic Hartnell