Deals

Aurizon

Advising on and drafting access undertakings for approval by the Queensland Competition Authority in relation to declared below rail services in the central Queensland coal region, including drafting of submissions in response to the QCA. Also advised on application of existing access undertaking and on terms of agreements for the provision of access to below rail services.

SABMiller plc

Acting in respect of the ACCC clearance of the proposed US$104 billion acquisition of SABMiller plc by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV – at the time, the third largest takeover in history. ACCC clearance was successfully obtained.

Staples Inc

Acting on the ACCC clearance of Staples Inc.’s US$6.3 billion global acquisition of Office Depot, Inc (trading in Australia as OfficeMax). Involved a detailed five-month review in which the ACCC defined a market in which the merged firm’s market share exceeded 80%. Unconditional, phase one clearance for this highly contentious transaction was obtained. The transaction did not proceed after Staples failed in a bid to overturn an adverse US Federal Trade Commission decision.

Paradise Company

Acted for Paradise Company Limited in the acquisition of Laga Industries Limited, a manufacturer of some of Papua New Guinea’s most popular snacks, ice cream, beverages and cooking oil. Paradise, which is majority-owned by Nambawan Super, one of the largest superannuation funds in Papua New Guinea, acquired Laga Industries from Steamships Trading Company Limited after a competitive bidding process.

Kina Securities

Advising ASX/POMSoX-listed Kina Securities Limited in the acquisition of ANZ’s retail and commercial / SME banking business in Papua New Guinea. This was one of the largest M&A transactions in PNG in the last 12 months and is a transformative transaction for Kina, acquiring services approximately 85,000 retail and 6,000 Commercial and SME customers.

Newcrest Mining & Harmony Gold

Advising Newcrest Mining (one of the world’s largest gold miners) and Harmony Gold (South Africa's third-largest gold producer) on the development of the Wafi-Golpu Project, a proposed world class underground copper/gold mine. This is a project of national significance, employing the block cave mining technique, which has not previously been used in Papua New Guinea.

Twinza Oil

Advising Twinza Oil on the development of the Pasca A offshore gas project, including permitting and financing.

Oil Search/Papua LNG

Advised Oil Search on all aspects of the development US$13 billion Papua LNG Project, and the signing of the gas agreement involving Total and ExxonMobil.

BP Solar - environmental and planning advice

Provided environmental and planning advice for proposed solar power generation plant in western NSW.

Tilt – Highbury Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project

Advised Tilt Renewables on project management, environmental and planning assessment and approvals in relation to their Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project in Highbury, South Australia.

Woodend - Integrated Sustainable Energy

Advised on regulatory and approval matters for wind farm and solar energy projects, including planning and environmental approvals, land access, local government rates and the operation of the Victorian and Federal electricity industry licensing regime.

Stockland - greenfield housing development

Advised Stockland on the environmental issues linked to a range of complex infrastructure agreements with the New South Wales State Government and local councils for the delivery of infrastructure to greenfield housing developments in the north west and south west growth areas of Sydney.

Transport for NSW – One Carrington Street

Acted for TfNSW on the voluntary planning agreement and project delivery agreement for the proposed redevelopment of One Carrington Street and upgrade to the Wynyard Station concourse.

John Holland

Advised John Holland on the biodiversity regime associated with removal of vegetation on a significant road transport infrastructure project.