Corporate Advisory

Gilbert + Tobin’s Corporate Advisory Group provides innovative solutions and project management for all aspects of both large-scale and smaller value corporate transactions and advises on a range of related corporate issues. The environment for corporate transactions is becoming increasingly complex as businesses need to meet both their legal obligations and the demands of shareholders and other stakeholders.

    Our Approach

    The team is made up of leading transactional lawyers and commercial lawyers with the skills and experience necessary to execute wide-ranging merger, acquisition and capital markets transactions. We achieve commercial results and outcomes through creative solutions, perseverance and best practice.

    As a leading corporate law firm we provide a range of services to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Corporations Act and good corporate governance practices.

    Our team of highly regarded transactional and commercial lawyers has advised senior management and boards on a wide range of complex business and legal issues.

    Regarded as one of the leading advisers to private equity funds, our commercially savvy corporate lawyers blend traditional corporate law skills with an understanding of the needs of private equity investors.

    Our Corporate Advisory Services

    • Corporate mergers, acquisitions and disposals and related due diligence, tax and structuring issues.
    • Joint ventures, including devising ownership, management and operational structures to meet commercial and regulatory requirements.
    • Structuring IPOs, placements and rights issues for companies and managed funds.
    • Complex private equity structuring and consequent investment and exit transactions, including management and leveraged buy-outs.
    • Capital management strategies, including buy-backs and capital reductions.
    • Capital markets activities including the structuring of complex capital instruments such as debenture and hybrid offerings and warrants.
    • Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rule compliance issues, including continuous disclosure, corporate governance and periodic disclosure obligations and board charter solutions for public and private companies.
    • Australian Financial Services Licence applications and compliance for licensees.
    • Company secretarial assistance to companies, including the establishment of companies, preparing minutes and resolutions for board and shareholder meetings, and undertaking statutory filings.

    Our corporate advisory experience includes:

    • KKR on the proposed acquisition of a 55% interest in Colonial First State (CFS) and establishment of a joint venture with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, with the transaction valuing CFS at $3.4 billion.
    • Cleanaway on its proposed $2.5 billion acquisition of Suez’s Australian business.
    • L Catterton, the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world, on the sale of iconic Australian brand, RM Williams to Andrew Forrest’s private investment group Tattarang.
    • Pepper Money on its IPO and ASX listing.
    • Australian Clinical Labs on its IPO and ASX listing.
    • PowAR consortium (QIC, Future Fund, AGL) on its $3 billion proposed acquisition of Tilt Renewables by scheme of arrangement.
    • Adamantem Capital on the acquisition of the Spotless commercial laundries business from Downer and the subsequent establishment of a joint venture between Adamantem Capital and Downer in respect of the business.
    • Cardno on the demerger of Intega Group Limited from Cardno Limited pursuant to a scheme of arrangement.
    • Viva Energy Group on its successful IPO and listing on the ASX - the largest IPO in Australia for four years and the largest non-government IPO in Australian corporate history.
    • Westpac on the sale of its Vendor Finance business to Angle Finance, a portfolio company of Cerberus Capital Management.
    • Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan as joint lead managers and underwriters of the $1.2 billion placement by QBE Insurance Group Limited.
    • Coca-Cola Amatil on the joint acquisition with The Coca-Cola Company of a 45% equity stake in the Made Group.
    • Nitro Software on its IPO and listing on the ASX.
    • Infigen Energy on the $1.438 billion off market takeover battle for Infigen by UAC Energy and Iberdrola SA. Infigen is Australia's largest listed renewable energy generator.
    • SiteMinder on its capital raising from international and Australian investors which saw it become another Australian unicorn.
    • Viva Energy on the $734.3 million sale of the 35% stake it held in Viva Energy REIT to Charter Hall Group and the Charter Hall Long WALE REIT by way of Block Trade.
    • Yancoal Australia on its dual primary listing on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and associated capital raising (including Australian rights offering and Hong Kong IPO).
    • The Stars Group on its proposed $6 billion merger with Flutter Entertainment to create the world’s biggest online gaming group.
    • Tyro Payments on its IPO and listing on the ASX.
    • AB InBev on the $16 billion sale of Carlton & United Breweries to Asahi Group - the largest M&A transaction in Australia in 2019.
    • Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, the joint lead managers and bookrunners of HomeConsortium’s $300 million IPO and ASX listing.
    • DuluxGroup in relation to its $3.8 billion acquisition by Nippon Paint by scheme of arrangement.
    • KKR on the $2 billion takeover of MYOB by scheme of arrangement.
    • TPG Capital on the $1 billion (enterprise value) acquisition of pet and vet care company Greencross.
    • Mineral Resources on the US$1.3 billion sale of a 60% interest in the Wodgina lithium project to Albemarle Corporation.
    • Jacobs on the $4.6 billion sale of its energy, chemicals and resources group to WorleyParsons.
    • BGH Capital Consortium on its $2.1 billion acquisition of Navitas by scheme of arrangement – the biggest private equity buy out by an Australian based PE firm.
    • Harbour Energy on its $14.4 billion proposal to takeover Santos.
    • GrainCorp on the $3.3 billion demerger of GrainCorp’s international malting business, United Malt.
    • AB InBev on Australian aspects of its US$117 billion takeover of SAB Miller (CUB/Fosters), the largest takeover in the world in 2016.
    • Qube Consortium on the $9 billion acquisition of Asciano.
    • Goldman Sachs as sole global co-ordinator and UBS, Credit Suisse and Bell Potter as joint lead managers of the $3.87 billion ASX listing of Coronado Global Resources Inc.
    • GrainCorp on its successful defence of the $3.3 billion highly geared approach by Long-Term Asset Partners - financed by Goldman Sachs and Westbourne Capital.

    Ranked Band 1 in each of Corporate/M&A, Equity Capital Markets and Private Equity.

    CHAMBERS ASIA-PACIFIC 2022

    G+T was named Transaction Team of the Year.

    Lawyers Weekly Australian Law 2021

    G+T's Corporate team won Technology, Media, and Telecom M&A Legal Adviser of the Year and Private Equity Legal Adviser of the Year at the Mergermarket Australia M&A Awards 2021

    MERGERMARKET AUSTRALIA M&A AWARDS 2021

    Ranked Tier 1 in M&A and Capital Markets: Equity

    IFLR1000 2021

    G+T was named Law Firm of the Year for Corporate Law.

    BEST LAWYERS 2021

    Ranked Tier 1 in each of Corporate/M&A and Equity Capital Markets.

    THE LEGAL 500 ASIA-PACIFIC 2021

    G+T was awarded Most Innovative Firm for the 4th year in a row.

    2021 CLIENT CHOICE AWARDS

    Ranked 1st Tier for Corporate Law.

    DOYLE’S GUIDE 2020

    Gilbert + Tobin won Law Firm of the Year (101-500 lawyers) and Excellence in Technology & Innovation

    2021 AUSTRALASIAN LAW AWARDS

    G+T was named Law Firm of the Year (101-500 lawyers).

    2020 AUSTRALASIAN LAW AWARDS

    G+T was named Australian Firm of the Law.

    2020 ASIALAW AWARDS

    G+T won Most Innovative Team in Asia-Pacific.

    2020 FINANCIAL TIMES ASIA-PACIFIC INNOVATIVE LAWYER AWARDS

    1st in Australia by deal value and number of deals to the manager.

    REFINITIV 2020 ECM LEAGUE TABLES

    1st in Australia by deal value to the manager.

    BLOOMBERG 2020 ECM LEAGUE TABLES

    1st in Australia by deal value.

    REFINITIV 2020 M&A LEAGUE TABLES

    2nd in Australia by deal value.

    MERGERMARKET 2020 M&A LEAGUE TABLES

    2nd in Australia by deal value.

    BLOOMBERG 2020 M&A LEAGUE TABLES