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Meet new senior associate Ari Bendet

Corporate and M&A
AriBendet article
New senior associate Ari Bendet explains why he chose to practice in M&A, and what’s special about ABL’s Corporate and M&A team.

What led you to focus your practice on M&A?

My first rotation as a grad was in restructuring and insolvency and I was 95% sure I’d choose to practice in that area. As it turned out, my second rotation was in M&A, and it changed my mind.

Right from the start, I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the work, the complexity and variety of the deals, and the sophistication of the clients. Unlike many other areas of the law, you have a clear goal you’re working towards. While a dispute may take five years to settle, when a deal is completed you can look back with a real sense of achievement.

It’s also rewarding to be working so closely with clients, who view Arnold Bloch Leibler as their strategic advisers, not simply the people who will execute their legal documents.

You’ve only been at Arnold Bloch Leibler for a short while, but have you noticed any differences yet in the way the firm approaches M&A?

When you practice M&A in larger law firms, you’re often seen as a legal advisor only, and may be the last to know the thinking behind a deal.

Because ABL has such a strong base of founder clients, wanting to bounce around strategy ideas from the earliest stages, we have a far more holistic view of the deal and the opportunity to add significant value.

“It’s also rewarding to be working so closely with clients, who view Arnold Bloch Leibler as their strategic advisers, not simply the people who will execute their legal documents.”

What would you say that you add to ABL’s already strong corporate and M&A team?

At a very basic level, I’m another voice around the table. From Day 1, I’ve felt encouraged to speak up if I have different perspective on how something might be done.

Having been embedded within a private equity client in the past, I’ve had the experience of sitting on the other side of the table and have a strong sense of how to present advice to a client in a digestible way – to speak their language.

The firm has a strong culture of encouraging lawyers to pursue interests outside of work. Was that also an incentive to join ABL?

Absolutely. The thing about ABL is that it’s clear the top partners pursue other passions and interests, which makes it real – the firm doesn’t just pay lip service to the idea of contributing to the community more broadly.

As one of five siblings, I do a lot of things outside of work with my family. An activity that takes a fair bit of my time is my volunteer work with C-Care, an organisation that provides meals and groceries to people experiencing food insecurity and social isolation. I’ve volunteered at C-Care since I was at school and a key part of the program is that we don’t just deliver food – we actually spend time with people.

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