Recent Transactions

Advising WH Smith PLC, one of the UK’s leading retailers, on the sale of its UK High Street business

Advising Tate & Lyle plc, a UK-listed specialty food and beverage ingredients company, on the acquisition of CP Kelco, a US-based provider of pectin, speciality gums and other nature-based ingredients, from J.M. Huber Corporation

Adviser to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank on the exit of its investment in the Homesafe Equity Release Joint Venture

Advising Australian Unity Property Limited, as the responsible entity of the Australian Unity Diversified Property Fund, on Australian Unity Diversified Property Fund’s merger with Cromwell Direct Property Fund

Advising Marley Spoon SE, an ASX listed global subscription-based meal kit provider, on its business combination agreement with 468 SPAC II, simultaneous capital raising and amendment to existing debt facilities

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 and acting as sponsor to Inchcape plc, the leading independent global automotive distributor, on its proposed Class 1 acquisition of Derco, the largest independent automotive distributor by volume in Latin America

Advising Inchcape plc, the leading independent global automotive distributor, on the acquisition of Interamericana Trading Corporation (“ITC”), a leading independent automotive distributor in the Caribbean region, and Simpson Motors, the leading automotive retailer in Barbados, from the Simpson Group

Advised Australian Unity Funds Management on its successful defence of Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust, in response to four unsolicited offers from a consortium comprised of NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund, GIC

Advising Tate & Lyle PLC, a leading UK-based global provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions, on its sale of a controlling stake in its Primary Products business in North America and Latin America

Advised Henkel on its brand divestment program (including the sale of the General, Right Guard and Dry Idea brands)

Advised Biogix, Inc., a leader in the development, research and distribution of clinically tested menopause and perimenopause supplements in the U.S. under the flagship brand Amberen, on its sale to Alliance Pharma plc

Advising Kenedix, one of the largest Japanese independent real estate asset managers, on its acquisition by Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, one of the largest Japanese leasing companies

Advised the Ad-Hoc Group of First Lien and Second Lien Lenders on consensual out-of-court amend & extend

Advised WH Smith PLC, one of the UK’s leading retailers, on its £166m non pre-emptive equity placing and new £120mm financing facility

Advised GlaxoSmithKline plc (“GSK”), the UK listed international pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company, on the divestiture of the Mexico rights to Hinds, Capent and Eclipsol to Mexico-based Grisi Hnos

Advised Australian Unity, an Australian healthcare, financial services and retirement and living services company, on the formation of a strategic 50:50 joint venture with Keppel for investment opportunities in the Australian metropolitan office property sector

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

Advised Dexus in relation to its acquisition of the 80 Collins precinct from QIC Global Real Estate

Advised Lion, an Australian subsidiary of Kirin, on its acquisition of a strategic stake in Four Pillars Gin, Australia’s leading craft gin distillery

Advised The Laundress Inc., a laundry and home cleaning products brand, on its sale to Unilever, a British-Dutch consumer goods company

Advised GlaxoSmithKline plc, the UK listed international pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company, on the divestment of Horlicks and other consumer healthcare nutrition brands to Unilever plc, and on the merger of GSK Consumer Healthcare Limited with Hindustan Unilever Limited

Advised the Ad Hoc Group of the company's $481mm term loan with respect to the company's prepackaged Chapter 11 restructuring

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 Electra Private Equity plc, a UK-listed private equity investment trust, on its strategic review and subsequent sale of the larger non-controlled assets of Photobox and Knight Square to funds managed by Lexington Partners

Advised IFF, a leading innovator of specialty ingredients, on its acquisition of Frutarom, creating a global leader in Taste, Scent and Nutrition

Advised Danone, a leading global food & beverage company, on renewing its strategic partnership with Yakult, a global leader in probiotic beverages, as well as the sale of part of its stake in Yakult

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 Ladbrokes Coral Group PLC, a leading multi-channel sports betting and gaming company, on a recommended offer from GVC Holdings PLC, a multi-national online sports betting and gaming company

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 Inchcape PLC, a global leader in automotive retail and distribution, on the acquisition of a multi-country scale distribution business in Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Argentina for $290m (approximately £234m)

Advised Lion, a leading Australasian food and beverage company wholly owned by Japanese conglomerate Kirin, on the sale of its Australian wine business Fine Wine Partners to Accolade Wines, a portfolio company of CHAMP Private Equity

Advised Tesco plc, a listed FTSE 100 retailer, on its sale of the Giraffe casual dining restaurant chain to the Boparan Private Office, the private investment vehicle of the British businessman Ranjit Boparan

Advised Digital Realty Trust, the world's largest wholesale colocation services and data center solutions provider, on its acquisition of a portfolio of eight carrier-neutral European data centers from Equinix

Advised Tate & Lyle plc, a leading provider of ingredients and solutions to the food, beverage and other industries, on the re-alignment of Eaststarch C.V., its 50:50 corn wet milling joint venture in Europe with Archer Daniels Midland Company

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 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 TUI AG on the merger with TUI Travel Plc creating the world’s number one integrated leisure tourism business (+Transaction value represents enterprise value of combined entity)

Advised Reckitt Benckiser, a leading consumer goods manufacturer, on the acquisition of the global rights to the K-Y brand, a leader in intimate lubricants

Advised Tesco plc, a listed FTSE 100 retailer, on its acquisition of a significant minority shareholding in Lazada, the leading online general merchandise retailer in South East Asia

Advised Tesco PLC on the formation of a joint venture with China Resources Enterprise, a Hong Kong listed, Chinese retailer, to create the leading multi-format retailer in China

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 Inchcape plc, the leading independent international automotive distributor and retailer, on the acquisition of Trivett Automotive Group, the leading luxury and premium automotive group in Australia

Advised Woolworths Limited, Australia’s largest supermarket operator, on the sale of its Consumer Electronics retail chain, Dick Smith Electronics, to Anchorage Capital Partners

Advised the Pension Trustees of Howden Joinery Group plc in negotiating a revised schedule of deficit reduction payments, and with regards to their security position relative to the Company’s lenders

Advised Armajaro Trading Limited, a global soft commodity trading house and supply chain manager, on raising mezzanine capital from the International Finance Corporation, a unit of the World Bank

Advised The Miller Group, the UK’s largest private homebuilder, on the recapitalization of its balance sheet comprising a substantial new equity capital raising and a significant debt for equity swap

Advised Super Retail Group on the acquisition of Rebel Group Limited, Australia’s largest retailer of sporting goods, for A$610 million and the associated A$334 million capital raising used to fund the acquisition

Advised Minerva plc, a property investment and development company, on a recommended offer from a consortium consisting of AREA Property Partners and Delancey Real Estate Asset Management

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 Pacific Equity Partners and ANZ, the shareholders of Tegel Foods (Tegel), on the sale of Tegel, New Zealand’s preeminent producer of poultry products, to Affinity Equity Partners

Advised Aevum Limited, an ASX listed owner, operator and developer of retirement villages and aged care facilities on its response to a hostile takeover offer from Stockland Ltd, a global property development and investment management group

Advised the shareholders of Camelot – Cadbury, De La Rue, Fujitsu, Royal Mail and Thales – on the sale of their shareholdings in Camelot, the operator of the UK National Lottery, to Ontario Teachers’ Pensions Plan

Acted as Joint Financial Adviser to Ladbrokes plc, a leading UK based betting and gaming company, on its rights issue

Advised Tesco plc in relation to its acquisition of the 50% interest it does not already own in Tesco Personal Finance Group Limited, a joint venture with The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc. Tesco Personal Finance offers a range of retail insurance and banking products under the Tesco brand

Acted as financial adviser to Tesco plc on its recommended acquisition of Dobbies Garden Centres plc, one of the UK's largest garden centre retailers

Advised Alliance Boots plc, the leading international pharmacy-led health and beauty group, on a proposal regarding an offer for the company from a consortium comprising of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Ltd. and Stefano Pessina

Advised WH Smith PLC on the demerger of its Retail business

Advised the independent committee of the Board of Directors of Debenhams plc, a leading UK department store chain, with regards to the sale of the company

Advised Tesco PLC, Britain’s largest retailing group, on its acquisition of T&S Stores plc, a publicly listed convenience store retailer operating in the UK.