Ed Paton

About Ed Paton

Ed Paton is a partner at Hall & Wilcox in Melbourne and heads the firm's Southeast Asia practice. He works on private mergers and acquisitions, both domestic and inbound international, with an emphasis on mid-market deals, corporate restructures and company establishment. He also co-manages the firm's international law firm network and its Singapore desk. He has been recognised in Best Lawyers Australia since 2020 and is separately listed by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific for corporate and M&A work.

Doyle’s Guide lists Ed Paton as Leading among Victoria’s business and commercial lawyers in 2026, and Recommended in its Corporate Lawyers, Victoria list.

Doyle’s Guide rankings

Ed Paton’s most recent listings. Every edition we could verify is set out in the ranking history below.

• Business & Commercial Lawyers, VictoriaLeadingDoyle’s 2026 · Hall & WilcoxSource →
• Corporate Lawyers, VictoriaRecommendedDoyle’s 2026 · Hall & WilcoxSource →

Doyle’s ranking history

Every Doyle’s listing we could verify for Ed Paton. Each list page was opened individually on doylesguide.com, one edition at a time, on 17 September 2026; no run of years has been inferred from a single page.

• Business & Commercial Lawyers, VictoriaLeadingLeading 2022–2026 · Recommended 2021Source →
• Corporate Lawyers, VictoriaRecommendedRecommended 2026Source →
• Corporate & Commercial Lawyers (SME & Mid-Market Matters), VictoriaLeadingLeading 2018Source →
• Capital Markets Lawyers, VictoriaRecommendedRecommended 2017Source →
• Private Equity Lawyers, MelbourneRecommendedRecommended 2016Source →

Years are the edition years Doyle’s publishes. We searched Doyle’s Victorian and national lawyer lists for commercial, corporate, property, leasing, insolvency, technology, employment, construction and estates work from 2015 to 2026.

What Ed Paton handles

As listed by Hall & Wilcox:

• Corporate transactions and advice
• Private mergers and acquisitions (domestic and inbound international)
• Mid-market M&A
• Corporate restructures
• Cross-border transactions
• Company establishment and succession planning

Sectors. Manufacturing; Food and beverage; Retail; Automotive; Bus and coach transport; Agribusiness; Infrastructure; Healthcare; Aged care and retirement living; Professional services; Financial services; Insurance; Private equity and venture capital; Insolvency; Family business.

Career and background

• Joined Hall & Wilcox in 2007. (source)
• Appointed partner at Hall & Wilcox in 2009. (source)
• Leads Hall & Wilcox's Southeast Asia practice, including its Singapore desk. (source)
• Co-manages Hall & Wilcox's international law firm network. (source)
• LLB. (source)
• BA (Hons). (source)
• Family Business Australia Accredited Adviser. (source)
• Former member, Victorian Committee of Family Business Australia (four years); former Chair, FBA Adviser Executive Committee (three years). (source)

Other recognition

Listings in other directories, as published by the source shown. We have not independently verified these.

• Best Lawyers Australia, Commercial Law / Corporate Law / M&A Law (recognised each year since 2020, most recently 2027 edition). (source)
• Best Lawyers Australia, Private Equity Law (2026, 2027). (source)
• The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Corporate and M&A (2020-2025). (source)

Register details

Ed Paton is listed on the Victorian register of lawyers kept by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner. The entry is reproduced below as it appeared on 17 September 2026 (the address field is omitted).

• Name on the registerEdward Paton
• Practising certificate typePrincipal with Trust
• Practising atHall & Wilcox
• Areas of practiceBusiness/Corporate Law, Commercial Law
• Accredited specialisationsNot applicable
• LanguagesNot applicable

How to engage Ed Paton

Contact Hall & Wilcox directly through the firm’s profile page. If you are not sure what kind of lawyer your matter needs, our matching service can point you to the right starting place.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ed Paton?

Ed Paton is a partner and head of the Southeast Asia practice at Hall & Wilcox in Melbourne, working in corporate transactions and advice, private mergers and acquisitions and mid-market M&A.

Is Ed Paton ranked by Doyle’s Guide?

Doyle’s Guide lists Ed Paton as Leading among Victoria’s business and commercial lawyers in 2026, and Recommended in its Corporate Lawyers, Victoria list. Each edition is linked in the ranking history on this page.

What does Ed Paton specialise in?

According to Hall & Wilcox: Corporate transactions and advice; Private mergers and acquisitions (domestic and inbound international); Mid-market M&A; Corporate restructures; Cross-border transactions; Company establishment and succession planning.

How do I contact Ed Paton?

Through Hall & Wilcox. This profile is editorial; Ed Paton has not claimed it and has no commercial relationship with Lawyer Reviews.