Spotlight on Nathan Deveson – Ashurst's newest tax guru
Ahead of the Deal - Australian M&A Briefing
This month we get to know Nathan Deveson, who recently joined Ashurst as a senior partner in our Tax practice. Nathan is widely recognised as one of Australia’s foremost authorities in State taxes, with expertise in stamp duty, land tax, surcharge stamp duty and land tax and other State-based taxes. He is particularly renowned for his deep knowledge of complex real estate transactions, and for providing commercial and financial structuring advice across a broad range of sectors, including M&A, financial services, mining, and resources.
Q1: Nathan, it's great to have you as part of the Ashurst team. What was it about Ashurst that made the firm stand out to you and contributed to your decision to join?
Nathan:
There were a lot of compelling reasons, but two really stand out for me.
First, I was drawn by the incredible momentum that Ashurst, and the Corporate Transaction teams in particular, is achieving in the market, and the clear impact this is having in terms of awareness and strength of the Ashurst brand, and the market's recognition of Ashurst's capability and quality. It's a real demonstration of Ashurst's ambitious strategy and how well the firm is executing on it.
Second, I really value being part of a global team that can look after transactions end-to-end, from the source of capital right through to its deployment in a deal. The global reach and network of Ashurst, which will be enhanced by the proposed combination with Perkins Coie, means we can support our clients through all phases of a transaction, and also spot and create opportunities through our international reach. That's something I find genuinely exciting.
Q2: When you talk to clients and investors about what's on their minds when it comes to tax and tax policy developments in Australia, what do you hear?
Nathan:
When I talk to investors, both here and overseas, the clear theme that comes through is a real sense of sovereign risk in tax specifically, but also in government policy more broadly. There's genuine concern about what they see as a lack of certainty and predictability, as governments seem increasingly willing to intervene in markets with new or significantly changed tax regimes to try to raise revenue and cover budget deficits.
A good example, and one that's attracted a lot of press and comment from the business community, is Victoria's announcement and introduction of a number of new or increased taxes, particularly around residential, commercial and industrial property. At a state level, changes like this are creating competitive markets to attract investment capital, so if one state is taxing heavily and another isn't, that naturally shifts where capital flows. More broadly, the uncertainty created by these reactive tax and regulatory changes is really getting in the way of business planning, good transactions and sensible capital allocation, and frankly it's undermining Australia's great position and reputation as a place to invest.
So it's really that bigger picture concern around sovereign risk, and what new or changed tax regimes might be coming next, rather than say any particular stamp duty rate, that dominates my conversations with clients.
Q3: You've just returned from the firm's 2026 Partners Conference held in Berlin. Can you tell us a bit about that experience and what you took away from it?
Nathan:
It was fantastic, and really exciting to get the chance, so quickly after joining the firm, to meet and hear from members of the global Ashurst team, as well as some of our clients.
One thing that really stood out is the uniform culture of high quality, built around genuine connectedness and collaboration. That felt very comfortable to me, and it immediately reinforced that I'd made the right decision in joining.
I was also very excited to meet a number of Perkins Coie partners ahead of our planned merger. They share that same spirit of collaboration to advance our clients' interests, and when you look at what our two firms each bring to the table, the combination just makes a lot of sense. The combined firm's focus on and deep expertise in the technology, energy and infrastructure, and financial services sectors will give us a really strong and unique position in the global market.
