Asialaw Profiles
The Guide to the legal markets of the Asia-Pacific

Allens Arthur Robinson is best known for representing Anglo-Australian iron-ore miner Rio Tinto in its heated and high-profile negotiations in February 2009 with China’s state-owned Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) to reach an agreement on a ... [more]

Allens Arthur Robinson is best known for representing Anglo-Australian iron-ore miner Rio Tinto in its heated and high-profile negotiations in February 2009 with China’s state-owned Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) to reach an agreement on a strategic alliance. Chinalco then famously pulled-out in July 2009 to form a joint venture covering iron-ore production with rival BHP Billiton. Ewen Crouch is a standout member of the team.

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With a strong focus on the resources sector, Blake Dawson’s M&A practice is easily among Australia’s best. Carl Della-Bosca’s move to rejoin the team following her leave of absence with Slaughter and May in London, together with David Ryan’s promotion ... [more]

With a strong focus on the resources sector, Blake Dawson’s M&A practice is easily among Australia’s best. Carl Della-Bosca’s move to rejoin the team following her leave of absence with Slaughter and May in London, together with David Ryan’s promotion to partner, shore up the firm’s resources in the corporate department.

Key deals include leading the charge for BHP Billiton on the Australian law aspects of its stirring last-minute joint venture offer to Rio Tinto. This complex transaction saw the firm’s client nab a A$5.8 billion deal with Chinalco’s much sought after target at the final stages of Rio’s negotiations with its Chinese suitor.

A second front-page mining transaction saw Blake Dawson advise China Minmetals on its pursuit of home-grown counterpart Oz Minerals. The deal wrapped with agreeable shareholders selling Oz Minerals at A$1.7 billion (US$1.36 billion) to the PRC state-owned enterprise on revised terms. Finally, Blake Dawson represented Kirin Holdings on its proposed buyout of Lion Nathan.

Big names in the practice include Bill Koeck, Marie McDonald and David Williamson.

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Clayton Utz secures its top-quality reputation for corporate work again this year, with a deal profile that includes representing HBOS on its A$2.5 billion (US$2 billion) divestment of Bankwest and St Andrew to the Commonwealth Bank.The firm also counseled ... [more]

Clayton Utz secures its top-quality reputation for corporate work again this year, with a deal profile that includes representing HBOS on its A$2.5 billion (US$2 billion) divestment of Bankwest and St Andrew to the Commonwealth Bank.

The firm also counseled Fortescue Metal Group on its 16% share sale to Chinese iron and steel group Hunan Valin for A$645 million under a share subscription agreement. This transaction required sanctioning from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board.

Competitors describe Rod Halstead as an “unquestioned doyen for M&A”, while Michael Parshall is also highly recommended.

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Shake-ups at partner level may place Freehills’ corporate practice on watch. However, the firm’s deal pipeline throughout the year has not revealed any signs of wear.Richard Loveridge has taken over leadership of the practice since Mark Rigotti stepped ... [more]

Shake-ups at partner level may place Freehills’ corporate practice on watch. However, the firm’s deal pipeline throughout the year has not revealed any signs of wear.

Richard Loveridge has taken over leadership of the practice since Mark Rigotti stepped down to a client management position last year. The firm lost a top player in Braddon Jolley, who moved to Corrs Chambers Westgarth. Yet promotions to partnership demonstrate that a next generation is already primed to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Baden Furphy, Rodd Levy and Rebecca Maslen-Stannage are proven leaders on the team.

One of the firm’s more challenging transactions saw it advise Oz Minerals on China Minmetals’ notorious bid for its mining assets. This was eventually settled for A$1.75 billion.

Freehills represented Santos in another scene-stealing deal, which saw the Australian oil and gas enterprise team up with Malaysian state-owned counterpart Petronas on the A$7.7 billion (US$2.5 billion) Gladstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) project development. Freehills’ team also assisted CBA to complete its Bankwest and St Andrews insurance business purchases from HBOS for A$2.1 billion.

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Mallesons Stephen Jaques is an obvious contestant for high-value corporate work, regularly reeling in a fair share of the season’s top transactions. Over the last 12 months, a key mandate saw it advising Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) on its ... [more]

Mallesons Stephen Jaques is an obvious contestant for high-value corporate work, regularly reeling in a fair share of the season’s top transactions. Over the last 12 months, a key mandate saw it advising Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) on its A$19.5 billion (US$15.6 billion) attempted play for Rio Tinto.

Chemicals multinational Incitec Pivot sought the team’s advisory expertise on its scrip-based scheme of arrangement bid to acquire explosives company Dyno Nobel for A$3.3 billion. Meanwhile, Hunan Valin Iron and Steel Group instructed the firm on the A$1.2 billion share it took in Australian metals group Fortescue through subscription and purchase.

Standout names include Peter Cook, David Friedlander, Greg Golding and Stephen Minns.

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Gilbert + Tobin tackled negotiations for Westpac Banking regarding its tie-up with St Georges Bank. The deal was Australia’s largest ever corporate merger, and created the country’s largest banking institution. The firm also turned heads representing ... [more]

Gilbert + Tobin tackled negotiations for Westpac Banking regarding its tie-up with St Georges Bank. The deal was Australia’s largest ever corporate merger, and created the country’s largest banking institution. The firm also turned heads representing AGL Energy in disposing of A$1.2 billion-worth (US$960 million) of Queensland Gas shares. Garry Besson, Philip Breden, Gary Lawler and John Williamson-Noble stand at the helm of the group.

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Key deals for Minter’s corporate team over the last year include advising the target, Midwest Corporation, on the A$1.3 billion (US$1 billion) off-market takeover in September 2008 by Sinosteel Ocean Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China’s Sinosteel. ... [more]

Key deals for Minter’s corporate team over the last year include advising the target, Midwest Corporation, on the A$1.3 billion (US$1 billion) off-market takeover in September 2008 by Sinosteel Ocean Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China’s Sinosteel. The company was the first Chinese state-owned entity to make an unsolicited takeover bid for an Australian listed resources company.

From October 2008 to January 2009, Minter’s team also acted on the A$1.02 billion airport divestment programme, which involved the coordinated sale of Cairns International Airports and Mackay Airports, as well as a 12.4% shareholding in Brisbane Airport. And in a reverse takeover in July, the firm assisted Qantas Airways with an A$750 million spin-out of its Qantas Holidays and Qantas Business Travel businesses. This went into listed travel group Jetset Travelworld, in exchange for a controlling equity stake.

In August 2008, Minter Ellison acted on the privatisation of Macquarie Capital Alliance Group (MCAG), a Macquarie Group listed specialised fund. The take-private transaction was completed by an interdependent Australian scheme of arrangement, Bermudian scheme of arrangement and an Australian trust scheme. Leading lawyers at Minters include John Steven and Bart Oude-Vrielink.

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