Mary Lai

Partner, Tax Services & China Practice Group Leader

Mary Lai is a Partner in the Sydney Corporate Tax team and the National Leader of RSM’s China Practice Group.

Mary has extensive experience advising organisations on complex tax matters across major transactions, restructures and periods of significant business change.

She works closely with boards, CFOs and senior leadership teams to help them understand and manage tax risk, enabling confident and well informed commercial decision making.

Mary specialises in the energy and utilities, mining, and property and construction sectors. Her sector experience gives her strong insight into the commercial drivers behind large scale projects, capital transactions and business transformations, as well as the tax challenges that arise in highly regulated and capital intensive industries.

She advises a broad client base, including large corporate entities and middle market SMEs, supporting them through acquisitions, divestments, IPO preparation and ongoing tax governance.

Mary is particularly valued for her ability to provide clear, practical advice in situations where tax outcomes are uncertain, time critical or subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny.

"I am passionate about helping my clients with their tax needs and solving problems for them."

Mary helps clients navigate a wide range of complex tax issues. Her work typically involves managing tax risk in transactions, restructures and business change, advising boards and CFOs on the tax consequences of commercial decisions. All while resolving Australian Taxation Office matters efficiently, including reviews, audits and disputes. She also assists clients with designing practical tax structures that are robust, defensible and aligned to commercial objectives.

Throughout her career, Mary has worked on a number of significant and complex matters. She assisted a major US private equity fund with the acquisition of the world’s largest supplier of materials used in mining and construction from a large ASX listed company. This engagement included undertaking purchaser due diligence and advising on transaction tax structuring.

She also advised a large cosmetics company on its acquisition of an Australian cosmetics business. She provided purchaser tax due diligence, tax structuring advice, and indirect tax support.

Mary spent six months seconded to a global mining company. During this role she worked closely with in‑house teams to support several significant projects. This experience strengthened her commercial perspective and her ability to deliver advice that is practical, commercially focused and effective in an operational environment.

One experience Mary is particularly proud of involved advising a corporate group on restructuring its existing operations as part of its preparation for an initial public offering. The engagement required careful management of tax risk, strong technical expertise and clear communication with key stakeholders at a critical point in the business’s growth. It reflects Mary’s approach to combining technical depth with commercial judgement when the stakes are high.

Before joining RSM, Mary was a tax manager at a global online company, following six years at a Big 4 Accounting Firm. Her previous roles gave her the exposure to complex corporate and multinational tax matters, as well as the opportunity to work closely with businesses operating at scale.

Mary enjoys helping clients navigate an ever‑changing tax landscape with confidence.

She is motivated by delivering high‑quality outcomes for clients while also contributing to the development of people and the broader practice. Supporting better decision‑making at board and executive level is a key driver in her work.

Outside work, Mary, is passionate about long‑distance running. Running gives Mary the time and space to think clearly, whether that is about her clients or life outside work. Running has also allowed Mary to discover more when travelling. She believes there is no better way to explore a new place than physically running through it.

SOLUTIONS MARY LAI PROVIDES