Adrian Arundell

With the new financial year commencing this week, a number of Western Australia’s lawyers and accountants will be celebrating the fact as new partners of their respective firms.

The votality that has characterised the financial markets this year has bred anxiety across the country, but caution may be a more apt term for WA, where its largely business as usual.

Congratulation to WA's Top Young Acheivers.

Uncertainty has clouded the M&A market in recent months, putting a lot of work on hold.

More than 40 WA businesses have partnered with private equity funds in recent years.

THREE corporate advisory firms, each with a very different profile, stood out as market leaders in the mergers and acquisitions sector last year.Macquarie Capital, Hartleys and UBS were the top performers, judging by the number and value of Western Australian transactions handled.

Perth’s capital markets players reckon the past few months have been hard to take but they are seeing signs of growth as money returns.

Competition in the state’s investment banking sector is hotter than ever despite a fall-off in takeover deals and capital raisings last year.

SPECIAL REPORT: The past 12 months have been tough for WA’s corporate finance professionals, but there is cautious optimism that 2014 will be a different story.

Upwards of 130 corporate finance transactions worth more than $11 billion were announced in WA in the June quarter, but most notable was a handful of landmark M&A deals.

A world-first mental health check-in that combines wearable technology with an online survey was launched in Perth today.

SPECIAL REPORT: The mergers and acquisitions market was eventful in the March quarter, with Chinese and private equity investors to the fore, multiple WA businesses on the block, and a surprise advisory switch on a key takeover.