Neil Pathak

About Neil Pathak

Neil Pathak is a partner at Ashurst Perkins Coie in Melbourne, holding the firm's Head of Australia role and jointly leading its Australian M&A team. He has worked in mergers and acquisitions for more than three decades, advising on listed company takeovers, cross-border deals, private equity transactions and capital raisings. He sits as a senior member of the Commonwealth Takeovers Panel and holds a Senior Fellow appointment at the University of Melbourne Law School, teaching takeover and securities law. Chambers Asia-Pacific currently places him in Band 1 for Corporate/M&A in Australia.

Doyle’s Guide lists Neil Pathak as Leading among Victoria’s business and commercial lawyers in 2026, and Preeminent in its Corporate Lawyers, Victoria list.

Doyle’s Guide lists the firm as Ashurst; following its 2026 combination with Perkins Coie the firm trades as Ashurst Perkins Coie.

Doyle’s Guide rankings

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

• Corporate Lawyers, VictoriaPreeminentDoyle’s 2026 · Ashurst Perkins CoieSource →
• Business & Commercial Lawyers, VictoriaLeadingDoyle’s 2026 · AshurstSource →

Doyle’s ranking history

Every Doyle’s listing we could verify for Neil Pathak. 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.

• Corporate Lawyers, VictoriaPreeminentPreeminent 2019–2026Source →
• Business & Commercial Lawyers, VictoriaLeadingLeading 2021–2026Source →
• Corporate/M&A Lawyers (High-Value Matters), VictoriaPreeminentPreeminent 2017–2018Source →
• Corporate & Commercial Lawyers (SME & Mid-Market Matters), VictoriaLeadingLeading 2018Source →
• Corporate/M&A Lawyers (Smaller & Mid-Market Matters), VictoriaPreeminentPreeminent 2017Source →
• M&A Lawyers, MelbournePreeminentPreeminent 2016Source →
• Private Equity Lawyers, MelbourneLeadingLeading 2016Source →
• Capital Markets Lawyers, MelbourneRecommendedRecommended 2016Source →
• Corporate Lawyers, AustraliaPreeminentPreeminent 2015Source →
• Corporate Lawyers, MelbournePreeminentPreeminent 2015Source →

Years are the edition years Doyle’s publishes. Doyle’s listings over the years name Gilbert + Tobin, Ashurst and Ashurst Perkins Coie. 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 Neil Pathak handles

As listed by Ashurst Perkins Coie:

• Listed company takeovers
• Cross-border acquisitions
• Private equity transactions
• Equity capital raisings
• ASX disclosure and corporate governance
• Shareholder activism response
• Takeover Panel disputes
• Foreign investment law

Sectors. Mining and resources; Energy; Infrastructure; Manufacturing; Chemicals; Healthcare; Agribusiness; FMCG; Retail; Leisure and gaming; Financial services; Investment funds; Logistics; Real estate; Technology.

Career and background

• Partner and Co-Head of M&A (Australia) at Ashurst Perkins Coie. (source)
• More than 30 years' experience practising in mergers and acquisitions. (source)
• Bachelor of Laws (Honours), University of Melbourne. (source)
• Bachelor of Commerce (Honours, finance major), University of Melbourne. (source)
• Senior member, Australian Government's Takeovers Panel (since 2017). (source)
• Senior Fellow, University of Melbourne Law School, teaching takeover and securities law. (source)
• Author, Takeovers Law & Strategy (3rd edition). (source)
• Former editor, Melbourne University Law Review. (source)

Other recognition

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

• Chambers Asia-Pacific 2026, Band 1, Corporate/M&A — Australia. (source)
• Firm profile states he has been named Melbourne's M&A, Corporate, Private Equity and/or Equity Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year (Best Lawyers) in 11 of the last 14 years. (source)

Register details

Neil Pathak 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 registerNeil Pathak
• Practising certificate typePrincipal with Trust
• Practising atAshurst Perkins Coie Australia
• Areas of practiceNot applicable
• Accredited specialisationsNot applicable
• LanguagesNot applicable

How to engage Neil Pathak

Contact Ashurst Perkins Coie 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 Neil Pathak?

Neil Pathak is a partner, Head of Australia and Co-Head of M&A (Australia) at Ashurst Perkins Coie in Melbourne, working in listed company takeovers, cross-border acquisitions and private equity transactions.

Is Neil Pathak ranked by Doyle’s Guide?

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

What does Neil Pathak specialise in?

According to Ashurst Perkins Coie: Listed company takeovers; Cross-border acquisitions; Private equity transactions; Equity capital raisings; ASX disclosure and corporate governance; Shareholder activism response; Takeover Panel disputes; Foreign investment law.

How do I contact Neil Pathak?

Through Ashurst Perkins Coie. This profile is editorial; Neil Pathak has not claimed it and has no commercial relationship with Lawyer Reviews.