Private Equity

Our team has worked on some of Australia's and New Zealand's largest private equity transactions of recent years. Some of the transactions we've advised private equity participants on are provided below.

Australia

• advised on the acquisition of the Repromed IVF business (2008).
• advised on the proposed acquisition of Frucor for approximately A$1 billion (2009).
• advised on the acquisition of the American Stock Transfer & Trust Company for A$1 billion (2008).
• acted for the lead arranger and underwriter on the provision of a A$900 million facility in relation to the funding of a recapitalisation of the Stella resort and hospitality business owned by MFS Limited and the restructuring of that facility to implement the sale of the business to CVC (2008).
• providing cutting-edge advice to the leading industry association in Australia, namely the Australian Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL), on a range of issues including tax advice (2008/2009).
• advised on the over A$100 million acquisition of Borders Australia, New Zealand and Singapore (2008).
• advised a private equity syndicate on the A$900 million potential acquisition of Tenix (2008).
• advised a private equity syndicate on its proposed acquisition of the Consumer and Pharmacy businesses of Symbion Health Limited for A$1.085 billion (2007/08).
• advised on the A$440 million acquisition of Hoyts (2007).
• advised private equity participants on their proposed A$20 billion plus joint bid with Wesfarmers for Coles Limited (parties ultimately withdrew from the bid) (2007).
• acted for a syndicate of banks on the financing of KKR's acquisition of a 50 percent interest in a joint venture with Seven Network Limited. At completion the transaction was Australia's largest leveraged finance deal at A$2.5 billion (2006).
• advised a private equity syndicate on the US$350 million acquisition of 3M Pharmaceuticals business in Australia, Asia and Africa (2006).
• acted for a banking syndicate on the senior and mezzanine financing being provided to fund the acquisition of DCA Group by CVC Asia Pacific - represented the largest leveraged buyout by private equity ever in Australia when it closed (2006).
• acted for a banking syndicate on the senior and subordinated facilities to fund the acquisition of the Myer department store business (2006).
  

New Zealand

• advised on the NZ$350 million takeover of EnviroWaste Services (2007).
• acted on the NZ$1.35 billion acquisition of Independent Distillers (NZ) (2006).
• advised on the takeover of Griffin Foods NZ for NZ$390 million (2006).
• advised a private equity consortium on its A$500 million acquisition of Super A-Mart (2006).
• acted for a syndicate of banks on the $500million + financing of the acquisition of the Mediaworks business in New Zealand by Ironbridge Capital (2007)
  

Fund structuring

• Advised Pacific Equity Partners on the structuring of the $4.2 billion PEP Fund IV, $1.5 billion PEP Fund III and $500 million PEP Fund II.
• Acting for Ironbridge Capital on the raising of the $1.05 billion Ironbridge Fund II.
• Acting for the founding partners on the establishment of Ironbridge Capital, the A$451 million equity raising for their first private equity fund and acting for GIC Special Investments Pte Ltd (the private equity arm of the Government of Singapore) in its $125 million investment in Ironbridge Fund 1. 
• Acted for CHAMP on the fundraising for various CHAMP funds including, most recently, $300 million for CHAMP Ventures No. 6 fund; $1 billion for CHAMP II fund; and $700 million for CHAMP I fund.
• Acting for Pacific Road Capital Management on the US$300 million raising of the first Pacific Road Resources Fund (2007).
• Acting for Macquarie Investment Management Limited in relation to the establishment of Macquarie Private Equity Trust II.
• Acting for Wolseley on the tax structuring of the Wolseley Private Equity Fund.