Recent Transactions

Advising Australian-based lithium company Liontown Resources Limited on its response to change of control proposals from Albemarle Corporation

World Co., LTD. ("World"), a regional staffing company in Japan, acquired Brain Group (Staff Brain Co., Ltd. and Technobrain Co., Ltd.), regional staffing companies in Japan

Advising Equity Trustees, one of Australia’s leading specialist trustee companies, on the acquisition of Australian Executor Trustees from Insignia Financial

Advised Liontown Resources, an ASX-listed lithium company focused on the development of the world-class Kathleen Valley Lithium Project, on a lithium spodumene concentrate offtake agreement and A$300m financing facility from Ford Motor Company

Advised Liontown Resources, an ASX-listed lithium company focused on the development of the world class Kathleen Valley Lithium Project, on a lithium spodumene concentrate offtake agreement with Tesla, a major electric vehicle manufacturer

Advised Syrah Resources, an ASX-listed industrial minerals and technology company, on a natural graphite active anode material offtake agreement with Tesla, the world’s largest EV manufacturer

Advised Lion, one of Australasia’s leading beverage companies and a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Kirin Holdings, on the acquisition of Bell’s Brewery, a leading US independent craft brewery

Advised Kao Data Ltd, which is jointly owned by Legal & General Group PLC and Noé Group subsidiary Hockham, on raising an initial £120m-£130m growth capital commitment from Infratil Ltd with the objective of creating a £500m data centre platform

Advised Youfoodz Holdings Limited, a leading provider of fresh, ready-made meals and other convenience food products, on its cash sale to HelloFresh SE via scheme of arrangement

Adviser to Milton Corporation on its merger with Washington H. Soul Pattinson effected via scheme of arrangement

Advised Youfoodz Holdings Limited, a leading provider of fresh, ready-made meals and other convenience food products, on its initial public offering on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)

Advising Arcland Sakamoto, a leading owner and operator of large home centers, on the acquisition of LIXIL VIVA, a leading owner and operator of large home centers and a listed subsidiary of LIXIL Group, a leading Japanese manufacturer of building and housing materials

Advised Viscofan (BME:VIS), the #1 producer of artificial casings for the meat industry worldwide (>30% market share), on the acquisition of Nitta Casings and Nitta Casings Canada (“NCI” and “NCCI”) one of the leading brands in the production of collagen casings in North America, from Nitta Gelatin (TSE:4977)  

Advised TT International, a leading independent asset management firm focused on managing high alpha, high conviction active management strategies for institutional investors, on its sale to Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.

Advised Lion, an Australian subsidiary of Kirin and one of Australasia’s leading food and beverage companies, on the sale of its Specialty Cheese division to Saputo, one of the top ten dairy processors in the world  

Advised Westpac, the third largest company in Australia by market capitalization, on its exit of BT Advice and the sale of select assets to Viridian Advisory

Advised Redbubble, a global online independent artist community and marketplace, on the acquisition of TeePublic, a similar online platform, and associated A$61 million equity raising

Advised TAL, Australia’s largest and leading insurance business that is 100% owned by Dai-ichi Life of Japan, on the acquisition of Suncorp Group Limited’s Australian Life Insurance business

Advised Lion, an Australian subsidiary of Kirin, on its acquisition of a strategic stake in Remedy Kombucha, Australia’s leading producer and distributer of kombucha beverages

Advised Lion (an Australian subsidiary of Kirin), on the sale of its strategic stake in Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory to Canadian-based Saputo, under its all cash takeover offer

Advised Patties Foods Ltd (ASX:PFL), the leading Australian branded frozen food Company, with market leadership in the frozen savoury and frozen dessert segments, on its proposed sale to Pacific Equity Partners via Scheme of Arrangement

Advised Kerry Group plc, a global leader in food ingredients and flavor technologies, on the sale of its Australian subsidiary Kerry Pinnacle, an integrated manufacturer and distributor of bakery ingredients and prepared bakery products, to Pacific Equity Partners

Advised Lion, a leading Australasian food and beverage company wholly owned by Japanese conglomerate Kirin, on the sale of its Everyday Cheese business to Warrnambool Cheese & Butter, a listed Australian dairy company controlled by the Canadian dairy player Saputo

Advised Recruit Holdings Co.,Ltd, the leading global staffing services company in Japan, on the acquisition of Peoplebank Holdings PTY LTD, Australasia’s leading IT&T recruitment company

Advised Modern Star, Australia and New Zealand’s #1 supplier of education resources and educational toys, on the sale of 90% of its shares to Navis Capital, a leading private equity group focused on investments in South and Southeast Asia

Advised Investec Bank (Australia) Limited on the sale of its Professional Finance and Asset Finance and Leasing businesses, its deposit book, and its Australian banking licence to Bank of Queensland Limited (“BOQ”). BOQ is a leading regional Australian bank which provides retail and business banking

Advised Open Colleges, Australia’s leading privately owned online provider in the high-growth vocational education and training sector, on the sale of a 70% stake (plus exit arrangements for the balance) to Apollo Education Group, Inc., one of North America’s largest private education providers

Advised GlaxoSmithKline, the UK listed international pharmaceutical and consumer company, on the sale of its nutritional drinks brands Lucozade and Ribena to Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd

Advised Transpower New Zealand, the state owned owner-operator of New Zealand’s electricity distribution network on the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary d-cyphaTrade Limited to the Australian Securities Exchange. d-cyphaTrade specializes in the design and marketing of Australian electricity derivatives traded on the ASX24 derivatives platform

Advised Danone, a world leading food company, on its business and capital alliance with Yakult Honsha, the largest probiotic dairy product manufacturer in Japan

Advised Archer Capital, a leading Australian private equity firm, and its portfolio company V8 Supercars Australia, on the sale of the Australian FTA television broadcasting rights for V8 Supercars to Seven, a leading Free to Air broadcaster in Australia

Advised Todd Corporation, a major New Zealand family office, on the divestment of its 11.1% holding in SKY Network Television Limited, New Zealand’s leading provider of pay television services

Advised Daily Mail and Guardian Trust plc (DMGT), on the sale of its remaining 50% interest in its Radio business in Australia to Illyria Pty, a private investment company of Lachlan Murdoch. The Radio operations comprise two national music networks in Australia

Advised the Australian Rugby League Commission on the sale of the Australian television broadcasting rights for the National Rugby League to Nine, a leading Free to Air broadcaster and Fox Sports, Australia’s largest pay TV broadcaster (partially owned by News Limited)

Advised Lion on the acquisition of Little World Beverages, Australia’s largest listed brewer and one of the country’s leading players in the Craft beer segment

Advised Coal and Allied Industries Limited, an Australian based coal mining company, in relation to an acquisition proposal from Rio Tinto Limited and Mitsubishi Corporation to acquire all the outstanding shares in the company not already held by Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi

Advised CHAMP Ventures on the sale of its portfolio company Retail Apparel Group, an Australian based men’s specialty apparel retailer, to Navis Capital, one of the largest regional private equity business in south-east Asia

Advised TOWER Australia Group Limited, the largest mono-line life insurance company in Australia, in relation to the offer from The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited to acquire all of the shares in TOWER that it does not already own by way of a scheme of arrangement

Advised Elders, a diversified agricultural company on the sale of its 40% stake in Rural Bank to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, an Australian diversified financial services company

Advised Media Monitors, the leading media intelligence company in Asia-Pacific, on its sale to Quadrant Private Equity

Advised AT&T Inc., a premier communications holding company, on its sale of the domestic network outsourcing business of AT&T Japan, its Japanese enterprise unit, to Internet Initiative Japan, one of Japan's leading Internet-access and comprehensive network solutions providers

Advised the Independent Committee of eAccess Ltd., Japan's largest DSL wholesaler, on its business combination through a share exchange with EMOBILE, Ltd., the leading mobile data communications provider in Japan

Advised Close Brothers Group plc, an independent financial services group, on the sale of its corporate finance subsidiary to Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe Ltd.

Advised Nikko Cordial, one of Japan’s largest securities firms, on its share exchange with Citigroup Inc., which resulted in Citigroup’s acquisition of the remaining 32% of Nikko Cordial that it did not already own