Robert’s corporate practice embraces high-level strategic advice and transactional work for a wide range of financial institutions, listed public companies and high net worth families. It includes complex corporate transactions, cross-border transactions, high-value or complex commercial negotiations, shareholder activism, solvent reconstructions, mergers and acquisitions, schemes of arrangement, advice to directors, governance, and compliance.
Robert’s litigation and regulatory practice involves acting for companies and individuals in all facets of complex high-value litigation, white-collar crime and regulatory proceedings. It includes shareholder disputes, contested corporate litigation, ASIC and ACCC investigations and enforcement actions, ICAC inquiries and Royal Commissions, other Commissions of Inquiry initiated by Government, and Commonwealth and State DPP prosecutions. Robert has acted in a number of cross-border regulatory matters (including investigations being conducted by the SEC in the United States, the FCA in the United Kingdom and FINMA in Switzerland).
Experience
Robert’s past significant corporate matters have included:
- Advising shareholder activist Mark Carnegie in a bold attempt to unwind the $4.6B Soul Pattinson/Brickworks Group.
- Advising Sirtex Medical on a successful $1.9B scheme of arrangement.
Robert’s past significant regulatory and litigation matters have included:
- Acting for Goldman Sachs in the HIH Royal Commission (no adverse findings).
- Acting for Goldman Sachs in a $500M civil proceeding brought by the HIH Liquidators (settled).
- Acting for a high-profile New South Wales politician in a perjury prosecution brought by the New South Wales DPP (prosecution no billed).
- Acting for a whistle-blower in an AUSTRAC investigation involving a major Australian bank.
- Acting for a large Australian regional bank in the Banking Royal Commission (no adverse findings).
- Acting for a senior executive of a foreign bank in a prosecution brought by the ACCC / Commonwealth DPP for criminal cartel conduct in relation to a $2.5B capital raising (prosecution no billed).
- Acting for an ex-Partner of a large accounting firm in a complex tax fraud prosecution bought by the ATO / Commonwealth DPP (sentenced to serving an Intensive Corrections Order in the community).
- Acting for a high-profile New South Wales businessman in a post-ICAC perjury prosecution brought by the New South Wales DPP (prosecution withdrawn).
- Acting for an ASX-listed company in complex civil proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court (judgment for ~$8M).
Client Testimonial
Robert acted for Nick Whitlam, from 2001-2003, in connection with his ASIC civil penalty proceedings concerning NRMA. In his book, ‘Still Standing – A Memoir’ (published 2004), Nick wrote a typically dry personal dedication to Robert, as follows:
To Robert, without whom I would not have had such a satisfactory outcome for Chapter 12, with thanks, from the author.
As noted in Chapter 12, Nick was exonerated by the Court on all counts in the proceedings. Although an independently successful businessman, Nick was also the son of Gough Whitlam, who held the position of Prime Minister of Australia from 1972-1975.
Robert acted for Goldman Sachs, and Malcolm Turnbull, from 2001-2010, in connection with HIH, including in the HIH Royal Commission, and later matters. In his book, ‘A Bigger Picture’ (published 2020), Malcolm said this:
The Royal Commission was excruciatingly embarrassing for me. … An adverse finding would have completely wrecked any of my political plans. Our lawyers, principally Robert Mangioni and Tom Jukovic QC, did an outstanding job, although both observed (they weren’t the first to do so) that I wasn’t the ideal client, having very strong views of my own. They did remind me, as politely as they could, that the lawyer who acts for himself has a fool for a client!
In 2003, Malcolm, and Goldman Sachs, were exonerated by the Royal Commission. In 2004, Malcolm was elected to the Federal Parliament. He later became the Prime Minister of Australia, a position he held from 2015-2018.
- Member of the Law Society of New South Wales.
- Admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia.
- Member of the West Tigers Leagues Club.
- Member of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia.
Robert has been listed in ‘Best Lawyers’ since its inception in 2004. Robert has been consistently recognised in the categories of Regulatory Practice and Corporate Law.
Robert has also been listed in ‘Doyle’s Guide’ since 2017. Robert has been consistently recognised as a leading/recommended practitioner in various categories, including Business and Commercial Law, Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution, and Corporate Crime and Regulatory Investigations.
Most recently, Robert has been listed in ‘Chambers & Partners’, in the category of White-Collar Crime & Corporate Investigations.