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

Advising JerseyCo, the indirect Holdco of Alpha Auto Group, a Canadian automotive dealership group, on its acquisition of Lookers Plc, a leading UK automotive dealership group

Sole financial adviser to Exponent, one of the UK’s leading private equity firms, on the acquisition of IFF’s Flavor Specialty Ingredients division, a global leader in the base aromas market

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 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

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

Advised Tesco plc, a leading UK retailer, on the sale of its Thailand and Malaysia businesses to Charoen Pokphand Group, the Thai conglomerate 

Advised GlaxoSmithKline plc (“GSK”), the UK listed international pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company, on the divestiture of the rights to Physiogel Asia and the US to Korea-based LG Household & Health Care Ltd

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 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 Dairy Crest Group plc, a producer of leading British food brands and value-added ingredients, on a recommended cash offer for its entire issued share capital from Saputo Inc, one of the top ten dairy processors in the world

Advised GlaxoSmithKline plc ("GSK"), the UK listed international pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company, on the combination of GSK's and Pfizer's Consumer Health businesses to create a world-leading Joint Venture

Advised Finaccess Capital, an investment company with a strong presence in the casual dining and quick service restaurant sector, on its 75% partial takeover of Restaurant Brands New Zealand, a corporate franchisee specialising in managing multi-site branded food retail chains (with brands consisting of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Carl’s Jr.)

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 and acted as sponsor to GlaxoSmithKline plc, the UK’s leading pharmaceutical company, on the buyout of Novartis’ 36.5% stake in their Consumer Health Joint Venture

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 Mãe Terra Produtos Naturais Ltda., Brazil’s leading Natural & Organic food products company, on its sale to The Unilever Group

Advised Tesco plc, the UK’s leading retailer, on its merger with Booker Group plc, the UK’s leading food wholesaler, to create the UK’s leading food business

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 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 Solomon Lew in reviewing his strategic options in relation to David Jones and Country Road. Mr Lew ultimately sold his 11.8% stake in the tightly held Country Road to Woolworths Holdings. Woolworths Holdings also acquired David Jones, Australia’s premier department store, in which Mr Lew held a 9.9% stake

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 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 Goodman Fielder, a leading Australian listed food company, on the sale of its New Zealand flour milling business, Champion Flour, to Nisshin Seifun Group Inc.

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 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 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 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

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 Gallaher Group plc, the world’s fifth largest tobacco company, on a recommended cash offer from Japan Tobacco Inc