Corporate Transactions Capabilities – Australia (Melbourne)

Cornwalls is ALFA International’s member firm in Melbourne, Australia, representing a broad array of corporations, family offices and high net worth individuals in every major industry. Its lawyers are thought leaders in legal issues critical to their areas of expertise.

Types of corporate transactions in which we have particular expertise

Our corporate transactions team has a broad range of experienced advisors which allow us to meet the needs and requirements of our clients. Areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, ASX and ASIC listings, corporate governance, capital raisings, equity capital markets, IPO’s and ICO’s, franchising agreements, managed investment schemes, privacy, and private equity. The industries our corporate transaction team deals with:  Banking and Finance, Agriculture, Retail, Wholesale and Manufacturing, FMCG, Tax, Property, IP, Employment, Construction, Fintech and IT.

The size of our corporate transactions team

The Cornwalls corporate transactions team comprises of 8 partners and 25 lawyers. The team works closely with other practice groups in the firm, as may be required on a transaction.

Examples of transactions we have undertaken

  • Acted for Anaconda Group Pty Ltd in its acquisition of the Mountain Designs international brand portfolio.
  • Negotiation of documents AU$55 million inventory finance facility provided by financier to a multinational steel importer.
  • Acted for a leading Australian retail and property group in the establishment and variation of two syndicated loan finance facility one for AU$150 million and the other for AU$200 million.
  • Acted for leading footwear group, the Munro Footwear Group, in a $150m merger with Fusion Retail Brands, to form one of Australia’s largest footwear wholesaler and retailers.
  • Acting for the private consortium successful in bidding for a licence to enter the Australian A-League football competition with the formation of a football club in Western Melbourne and the construction of a 15,000-capacity stadium and mixed use development.
  • Acted for a listed global corporation, in a number of strategic acquisitions and dispositions within the Australian market involving M&A, corporate, tax and employment and industrial relations advice
  • Acted for the Spotlight Group in relation to its involvement in the Home Consortium which acquired the Master’s stores property vehicle, from Woolworths in a circa AU$700m deal giving the consortium in excess of 500,000 square meters of retail space located across Australia for the development of multipurpose large format retail centres
  • Acted for SKF, a global OEM of industrial and ball bearing products, on the AU$60m divestment of its Australian distribution business to engineering giant, Applied Industrial Technologies
  • Acted on a circa AU$30m sale of one of Australia’s largest coffee roasting and wholesale businesses, the Bean Alliance, to the Milan listed Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group – a transaction which involved the transfer of hundreds of customer contracts and a number of employees, together with complex structuring advice, an earn arrangement and complex issues relating to the Personal Property Securities Act
  • Acted for one of Australia’s largest quarrying, concrete and construction materials companies, in a number of strategic acquisitions of quarry sites around Australia, involving the transfer of permits, licences and work authorities, extensive plant and equipment, employees and real property matters.
  • Assisted the same company with a number of complex negotiations with government bodies (through the VCAT process and otherwise) in relation to its operations and the expansion of sites, including in the Fisherman’s Bend Precinct (Victoria’s largest urban growth project)
  • Acting for a large private company in meeting all lenders required due diligence conditions and advising on the facility and security documents required in a syndicated refinance deal totalling AU$900 million.
  • Re-drafting security documents for an invoice-discounting financier, following its amalgamation with a mid-tier bank.
  • Acting for a mining company in a ‘reverse’ takeover of a US company, involving cross border issues and challenges (AU$30 million).
  • Acting for management in a buyout of one of Australia’s largest mortgage originator (AU$150 million).
  • Acting for a major lender in take-out finance secured over a 155 room hotel (AU$25 million).
  • Advising a major financier on the implications of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act.
  • Acting for an institution regarding its adoption of the Basel II Operating Risk procedures and reviewing and advising on the effectiveness of securities and enforcement.
  • Documenting the funding facilities required for many large commercial and residential developers, including negotiation with builders on the lender’s behalf, review and approval of pre-sale contracts and pre-lease arrangements.
  • Successful listing and privatisation of several Chinese entities, eg, Treyo Entertainment, Xiao Xiao Education etc.
  • Assisted clients from mainland of China, Hong Kong and other countries on numerous successful acquisitions of business in Australia including structuring advice, legal due diligence, drafting relevant documents and FIRB.
  • Advising in various IPOs and backdoor listings for Chinese entities seeking to list on ASX and NSX
  • Assisted Chinses companies in securing substantial shareholdings in ASX listed companies
  • Assisted various Asian clients to establish a crypto exchange in Australia