Deals

Merck Sharp & Dohme

Advising Merck Sharp & Dohme on patent litigation with Wyeth seeking to revoke patents covering Wyeth’s Prevnar 13 products (vaccines that reduce the incidence of severe ear infections in children, and pneumonia in the elderly). Wyeth has alleged infringement of these patents by the proposed launch of Merck Sharp & Dohme’s own 15-valent vaccine.

QIC consortium

Advised a consortium comprised of QIC, Chinese investment fund Pagoda and Goldman Sachs’ private equity arm on various tax issues associated with its successful bid to acquire a majority stake in the Icon Cancer Care Group which operates a vertically integrated cancer care business in Australia and Singapore.

Accenture

Advised on the Australian tax aspects of the global acquisition of the Cloud Sherpas group, a global cloud advisory and technology services company.

REA Group (realestate.com.au)

Advised on the tax aspects of the A$130 million acquisition of Hometrack Australia Pty Ltd, a residential property data analytics company from the UK listed ZPG Plc group.

Macquarie consortium

Advised a consortium comprising China Resources (Holdings) Company Limited, Macquarie Capital and Asia Pacific Healthcare Investments Limited on the acquisition of a significant interest in Genesis Care Limited, Australia’s largest cancer and cardiac services provider.

CCMP Capital Advisors

Advised on all Australian tax aspects of the US$1 billion global acquisition of BGIS, a leading integrated facilities management and real estate services company, from Brookfield Business Partners.

Australand Holdings

Corrs acted for Australand Holdings in funding the development of apartment schemes in Sydney and Melbourne, for example, AU$90 million BOSIAL development financing for apartment and retail at Discovery Point, Wolli Creek, in joint venture with Landcom.

Carter Holdings Limited

Corrs acted for Cater Holdings Limited on development facilities at Pacific Square Maroubra Mall with each stage funded by separate financiers, AMP and Colonial.

Darling Harbour, Sydney

Acted for a syndicate of superannuation and investment funds as mezzanine lenders on the structured receivable financing of the residential component of Lend Lease’s A$1.5 billion Darling Harbour Live residential project.

Armstrong Creek

Acted for a financier on Armstrong Creek, a complex subdivision project, featuring multiple landowners and financiers, being managed by Metricon Group.

Ritz Carlton, West Side

Acting for the financing syndicate on the AU$1.1 billion Stage 1 of Far East Consortium’s West Side Place project in Melbourne’s CBD, including over 1,200 residential apartments, retail space and a Ritz Carlton hotel located on level 80.

Hotels & Leisure | Sale of Marriott Hotels

Corrs acted in relation to the sale, by one of its wholesale funds, of a portfolio of three five-star Marriot operated hotels in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to the Malaysian based YTL Group. The A$415 million sale price received for this sale is a record in Australia.

Hotels & Leisure | Pullman Hotel Sydney Airport

Corrs advised on all aspects of Goodman’s development of the Pullman Hotel Sydney Airport, including negotiation of all the management agreements with Accor. Corrs acted on the sale of the Hotel in 2016.

Hotels & Leisure | Woolworths pub portfolio

Corrs acted for leading Australian retail chain, Woolworths in its sale to Charter Hall of the largest ever Australian pub portfolio. The deal comprised the A$600 million plus sale and lease back of a major portfolio of 54 hotel, leisure and gaming assets. It also involved the establishment of long term triple net leases (70 years inclusive of options) over each of the assets.