Corporate Finance

Finance

Debt and equity advisory across the capital stack.

Corporate Finance

Transaction and capital advisory across the investment lifecycle.

How we help.

Accessing the right capital on the right terms is one of the most consequential decisions a business makes. The capital stack options have proliferated — senior bank debt, non-bank lenders, unitranche, mezzanine, preferred equity — and navigating them requires both technical knowledge and current market relationships.

Corson Fiske provides debt and equity advisory to mid-market clients. Our role is to help clients understand the realistic options, run a structured process to secure the best terms, and negotiate the documentation that follows.

Our relationships span major banks, non-bank lenders, private credit funds, family office capital and institutional equity providers.

Capabilities

  • Senior debt advisory and refinancing
  • Mezzanine and unitranche structuring
  • Equity raising support
  • Lender selection and process management
  • Term sheet negotiation
  • Covenant and documentation review
  • Capital structure optimisation
  • Rating agency and investor engagement

When clients engage us.

The issues that bring clients through our door tend to fall into familiar patterns.

A refinancing is due

Existing facilities are approaching maturity and need to be replaced or extended.

Growth capital is required

The business needs capital for acquisitions, capex or expansion and needs to select the right instrument.

Covenants are under pressure

Lender conversations are becoming difficult and the client needs advisory support.

A recapitalisation is being considered

The capital structure is no longer appropriate and a fundamental reset is needed.

An unsolicited approach has been received

A potential acquirer has made contact. The board needs independent counsel on whether, when and how to respond.

A facility is approaching maturity

An existing debt facility is due for refinancing and the terms achievable in the current market need to be assessed independently.

What you can expect.

  • Capital secured on competitive terms
  • Documentation that reflects commercial reality
  • Preserved lender relationships through difficult conversations
  • Optimised capital structures for the next phase of growth

Outcomes from recent engagements.

Indicative results from engagements within this practice area. Client details have been anonymised; outcomes reflect actual matters completed by the firm.

$95M

Transaction Closed

Sell-side M&A

Led a competitive sell-side process for a family-owned industrial business, achieving a $95M transaction with strategic trade buyer.

Industrial business

$28M

Capital Raised

Growth capital

Arranged $28M of senior and mezzanine capital for a healthcare group’s multi-site acquisition program.

Healthcare group

1.4x EBITDA

Valuation Uplift

Sale readiness

Delivered an 18-month sale readiness program that lifted the valuation multiple from 4.2x to 5.6x EBITDA at completion.

Wholesale distributor

Experience where it counts.

Clients engage Corson Fiske because they need advice they can act on — delivered by senior practitioners who understand both the technical detail and the commercial consequences. Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in corporate finance transactions.

Our integrated structure means tax, legal, accounting and advisory questions are resolved within a single firm. For clients operating across Australia, Asia, New Zealand or Asia, our office network in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore and Auckland provides consistent advice across jurisdictions.

A refined four-phase method for every engagement.

Corson Fiske applies the same disciplined framework to every matter, regardless of scale. The phases below are not a marketing device — they are the actual structure our partners use to move clients from uncertainty to resolution.

Phase One

01

Understand

A confidential partner-led briefing to establish the facts, commercial drivers, timing pressures and stakeholder dynamics.

  • Confidential scoping conversation
  • Document and data review
  • Stakeholder mapping
  • Initial risk identification

Phase Two

02

Analyse

Structured technical and commercial analysis of every realistic option, with a clear view of risks, costs and likely outcomes.

  • Technical legal and tax analysis
  • Commercial modelling
  • Risk-weighted options assessment
  • Precedent and market benchmarking

Phase Three

03

Recommend

A written partner recommendation in plain English — not a list of caveats. We stand behind our advice and explain our reasoning.

  • Clear written recommendation
  • Implementation sequencing
  • Stakeholder communication plan
  • Contingency and fallback positions

Phase Four

04

Execute

Hands-on delivery of the agreed plan with partner oversight, regular milestone reporting and clear handback at completion.

  • Implementation leadership
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Milestone tracking and reporting
  • Completion review and handback

What clients need to know.

Engaging external advisors on any significant matter raises practical questions about scope, timing, cost and outcomes. We believe in being straightforward about each of these from the first conversation.

How engagements typically begin

Every engagement starts with a confidential initial conversation — usually 30 to 60 minutes — in which we listen to the situation, ask the questions needed to understand it properly, and share a view on whether and how we can help. There is no charge for this conversation and no obligation to proceed.

How we scope and price work

We prefer fixed-fee or capped-fee arrangements wherever the scope allows. Where the scope is genuinely uncertain — as in contested matters — we agree hourly rates upfront and provide regular fee updates against defined phases. We do not bill for internal discussions, file opening or routine administration.

Who you will work with

Every engagement is led by a partner with direct experience in the matter type. That partner remains your primary point of contact throughout. Specialist colleagues join the team where their expertise is required, but you will never be passed from person to person or find the partner you hired is no longer on the file.

How we handle confidentiality and privilege

All engagements are subject to strict confidentiality. Where legal advice is being delivered, it is provided through our incorporated legal practice and attracts legal professional privilege. We take document security, information handling and communications discipline seriously on every matter.

Get the right advice from Corson Fiske.

Confidential, no-obligation initial consultations with a partner who specialises in corporate finance transactions.