With the gold sector dominating mergers and acquisitions and capital markets activity in Australia's resources hub Western Australia, the Thomsons corporate team in Perth has firmly established itself as a trusted adviser on industry-changing deals.

WA-focused business publication Business News recently reported 41 per cent of WA-connected M&A in the six months to June 30 took place in the gold sector. It was also the second most active sector for capital raisings.

Business News identified Thomsons as among the top three law firms in Perth for the number of M&A and equity capital markets deals for the period.

Thomsons has been engaged on key deals that are shaping the future of companies seeking and mining the precious metal in Australia and around the world. Since the start of calendar 2026, some of Thomsons' important assignments have included:

• advising Orezone Gold Corporation on its acquisition of the Casa Berardi gold mine in Québec, Canada, for up to US$593 million, a transformational transaction that establishes ASX and TSX-listed Orezone as a diversified, multi-asset gold producer with operations in a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction;
  
• advising Australian gold explorer Emmerson Resources Limited on its A$311 million merger with South Africa-based Pan African Resources, creating a top 10 ASX-listed gold miner with a market cap of over A$5 billion;
  
• advising Saturn Metals Ltd on a A$100 million capital raising to support the development of its Apollo Hill Gold Project in Western Australia;
  
• advising Westgold Resources on the $58.3 million divestment of Westgold's Peak Hill Project to Great Boulder Resources by way of an asset sale agreement. The divestment was part of a company strategy by Westgold to divest non-core assets. We also advised Westgold and Valiant Gold Limited on the demerger of specific assets into Valiant through an asset sale and purchase arrangement;
  
• advising Toubani Resources Ltd on its capital solution, comprising a A$70 million equity raising and US$160 million gold stream with the funds raised to be used to progress its flagship Kobada Gold Project in Mali; and
  
• advising Elk Range Mining Ltd on its listing on the ASX, raising A$10 million in a fully subscribed IPO with the funds raised to be used to restart a gold mine in Idaho, US.
  

Thomsons Partner Scott Gibson said the level of activity reflected both the strength of the gold sector and the increasingly international outlook of Australian resources companies.

“Gold continues to be a major driver of corporate activity in Western Australia, but what is particularly interesting is the breadth of that activity. We are seeing everything from consolidation and asset sales through to IPOs, equity raisings and innovative funding structures," he said.

“Strong gold prices provide an important backdrop, but companies are also using favourable market conditions to reshape portfolios, fund development projects and position themselves for their next phase of growth.”