Clifford Chance

• Partners Group, on the M&A aspects and development and financing aspects on the Murra Warra wind farm project, one of the largest wind projects in Australia, and on its investment in the Bango Wind Farm, the third renewable wind farm investment in Australia under the landmark Grassroots Renewable Energy.
• Tobi Pearce and Kayla Itsines, and The Bikini Body Training Company Pty Ltd on the Series A investment by US private equity firm Norwest Equity Partners into The Bikini Body Training Company.
• PVH Corp., one of the world's largest fashion apparel companies, in connection with its acquisition of Gazal Corporation Limited, by way of scheme of arrangement.
• Five V Capital on its acquisition of funds ratings agency and investment research house Zenith Investment Partners.
• Pemba Capital Partners on the sale of secure ID and transaction cards company Placard to Swedish corporate ASSA ABLOY, for a headline purchase price of A$85 million.
• TBG AG, through its portfolio company DTN, on the purchase of a majority stake in Weatherzone, a leading provider of weather information, from Australian media conglomerate Nine Entertainment for a headline purchase price of A$30 million representing an EV of A$40 million.

• A syndicate of international and domestic financiers, including ANZ, Bank of China, ING, National Australia Bank and Société Générale, to the Land Services WA Consortium on the financing and corporate aspects of the partial privatisation of Landgate, the Western Australian property and land data agency. This is the fourth privatisation of an asset of this kind in Australia (with previous privatisations being in respect of the New South Wales land titles registry, the South Australian land titles registry and Victorian land titles registry, all of which we also advised on).
• The lenders, arrangers and joint lead managers (comprising around 10 banks including Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Commonwealth Bank of Australia) on the $350 million multi-sourced refinancing of Endeavour Energy's initial acquisition financing, including the update and issuance under the MTN for Endeavour Energy, the refinancing of numerous debt facilities, an initial 'samurai' financing into the Japanese market, and the implementation of various bilateral facilities.
• HSBC Bank plc, and the other Active Bookrunners, in the syndication of Glencore's refinancing of its Short-term Revolving Credit Facilities.
• Macquarie Capital and Swancor Renewable Energy in their capacity as the initial sponsors, on Formosa II (376-MV), one of the largest offshore wind projects in Taiwan, including on the wind turbine construction and O&M packages with Siemens Gamesa, and the project financing package.
• Three syndicates of financiers to the Sydney Transport Partners consortium (led by Transurban) on its A$9.3 billion acquisition from the New South Wales government of a majority stake in WestConnex, the largest road infrastructure project and biggest privatisation currently in Australia.

• Deloitte, in relation to multiple proceedings arising from the collapse of the Dick Smith Group. This is complex, large-scale and high-profile litigation arising out of a major corporate collapse in Australia, involving at least 10 separate trial teams, cross-examination of approximately 30 lay witnesses and 16 expert witnesses, and a very large volume of documentary evidence. 
• Deloitte, in defending claims arising from the collapse of Hastie Group Limited, which was an ASX-listed, multinational mechanical (HVAC), electrical, hydraulics, fire and refrigeration services provider to the building and infrastructure sectors. Hastie had operations in Australasia, the UK and Ireland, and the Middle East, with more than 7,000 employees based at over 110 locations. Hastie collapsed in 2012 with debts in excess of AU$1 billion.
• We are acting for former and current Australian partners of Herbert Smith Freehills, in relation to their defence of multiple proceedings in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, arising out of the collapse of the Arrium Group.
• Tantalum, in an ongoing dispute with the Arab Republic of Egypt at ICSID. The matter is the first ever claim under the Australia-Egypt Bilateral Investment Treaty.
• Cortec Mining Kenya and its UK shareholders, in an ongoing investment dispute with the Republic of Kenya at ICSID. The dispute arises out of the 2013 revocation of a mining licence granted to Cortec Mining Kenya (CMK) over Mrima Hill, near Mombasa.

• AMA Group in its purchase from SunCorp of Capital SMART Smash repair business and ACM Parts for A$440m in 2019, which involved two of the largest industry participants in the market.
• Bunnings in relation to its acquisition of Adelaide Tools.
• Glencore on a number of matters, including its successful application to the Australian Competition Tribunal and the subsequent appeal to the Federal Court, and ultimately in March 2018 the successful High Court case over access charges to the shipping channels of the Newcastle Port, the world's largest coal export port.

Corporate 

• Partners Group, on the M&A aspects and development and financing aspects on the Murra Warra wind farm project, one of the largest wind projects in Australia, and on its investment in the Bango Wind Farm, the third renewable wind farm investment in Australia under the landmark Grassroots Renewable Energy.
• Tobi Pearce and Kayla Itsines, and The Bikini Body Training Company Pty Ltd on the Series A investment by US private equity firm Norwest Equity Partners into The Bikini Body Training Company.
• PVH Corp., one of the world's largest fashion apparel companies, in connection with its acquisition of Gazal Corporation Limited, by way of scheme of arrangement.
• Five V Capital on its acquisition of funds ratings agency and investment research house Zenith Investment Partners.
• Pemba Capital Partners on the sale of secure ID and transaction cards company Placard to Swedish corporate ASSA ABLOY, for a headline purchase price of A$85 million.
• TBG AG, through its portfolio company DTN, on the purchase of a majority stake in Weatherzone, a leading provider of weather information, from Australian media conglomerate Nine Entertainment for a headline purchase price of A$30 million representing an EV of A$40 million.

Banking & finance

• A syndicate of international and domestic financiers, including ANZ, Bank of China, ING, National Australia Bank and Société Générale, to the Land Services WA Consortium on the financing and corporate aspects of the partial privatisation of Landgate, the Western Australian property and land data agency. This is the fourth privatisation of an asset of this kind in Australia (with previous privatisations being in respect of the New South Wales land titles registry, the South Australian land titles registry and Victorian land titles registry, all of which we also advised on).
• The lenders, arrangers and joint lead managers (comprising around 10 banks including Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Commonwealth Bank of Australia) on the $350 million multi-sourced refinancing of Endeavour Energy's initial acquisition financing, including the update and issuance under the MTN for Endeavour Energy, the refinancing of numerous debt facilities, an initial 'samurai' financing into the Japanese market, and the implementation of various bilateral facilities.
• HSBC Bank plc, and the other Active Bookrunners, in the syndication of Glencore's refinancing of its Short-term Revolving Credit Facilities.
• Macquarie Capital and Swancor Renewable Energy in their capacity as the initial sponsors, on Formosa II (376-MV), one of the largest offshore wind projects in Taiwan, including on the wind turbine construction and O&M packages with Siemens Gamesa, and the project financing package.
• Three syndicates of financiers to the Sydney Transport Partners consortium (led by Transurban) on its A$9.3 billion acquisition from the New South Wales government of a majority stake in WestConnex, the largest road infrastructure project and biggest privatisation currently in Australia.

Litigation & dispute resolution

• Deloitte, in relation to multiple proceedings arising from the collapse of the Dick Smith Group. This is complex, large-scale and high-profile litigation arising out of a major corporate collapse in Australia, involving at least 10 separate trial teams, cross-examination of approximately 30 lay witnesses and 16 expert witnesses, and a very large volume of documentary evidence. 
• Deloitte, in defending claims arising from the collapse of Hastie Group Limited, which was an ASX-listed, multinational mechanical (HVAC), electrical, hydraulics, fire and refrigeration services provider to the building and infrastructure sectors. Hastie had operations in Australasia, the UK and Ireland, and the Middle East, with more than 7,000 employees based at over 110 locations. Hastie collapsed in 2012 with debts in excess of AU$1 billion.
• We are acting for former and current Australian partners of Herbert Smith Freehills, in relation to their defence of multiple proceedings in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, arising out of the collapse of the Arrium Group.
• Tantalum, in an ongoing dispute with the Arab Republic of Egypt at ICSID. The matter is the first ever claim under the Australia-Egypt Bilateral Investment Treaty.
• Cortec Mining Kenya and its UK shareholders, in an ongoing investment dispute with the Republic of Kenya at ICSID. The dispute arises out of the 2013 revocation of a mining licence granted to Cortec Mining Kenya (CMK) over Mrima Hill, near Mombasa.

Antitrust & competition

• AMA Group in its purchase from SunCorp of Capital SMART Smash repair business and ACM Parts for A$440m in 2019, which involved two of the largest industry participants in the market.
• Bunnings in relation to its acquisition of Adelaide Tools.
• Glencore on a number of matters, including its successful application to the Australian Competition Tribunal and the subsequent appeal to the Federal Court, and ultimately in March 2018 the successful High Court case over access charges to the shipping channels of the Newcastle Port, the world's largest coal export port.

Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023, Australia

• Tier 1 in Dispute resolution: arbitration

Client comments

• "The team is very responsive and we have great access to senior individuals including partners whenever required."
• "With the Clifford Chance Australian team, I find they strike the right balance between legal advice and possible or likely commercial outcomes. They can be left alone to complete all task requests and consistently deliver well ahead of expected time frames. In addition, I often encounter the Clifford Chance team pre-empting requirements and making inbound enquiries on strategy and approach."

Chambers and Partners, Australia: Banking & Finance, 2023

• "The team is used to very complex and sophisticated competition law matters and are experts in dealing with them."
• "The firm was very responsive on all occasions."Work highlights Clifford Chance advised Amazon on merger filings relating to its USD8.4 billion acquisition of MGM Studios, a complex multi-jurisdictional deal.

Chambers and Partners, Australia: Competition/ Antitrust 2023

• "They have a highly capable, well-balanced team; key team members are very responsive and always contactable, with a good level of commerciality amongst the senior team."
• "They are an experienced, solution-oriented team with good deal exposure; their commercial outlook is supported by broad transaction experience."
• "They have great depth of talent within the teams, coupled with leading bench strength across practice areas and excellent senior partner client relationship management."

Chambers and Partners, Australia: Corporate/M&A 2023

• "They're a high-performing team with excellent communication and client focus. Excellent commerciality was demonstrated throughout the team." 
• "They were extremely thorough and thoughtful; all the personnel I came into contact with had very strong knowledge of my situation and excellent advice." 
• "Clifford Chance are comfortably able to bring cross-jurisdictional resources to bear on complex international issues."

Chambers and Partners, Australia: Dispute Resolution 2023

• "With the Clifford Chance Australian team, I find they strike the right balance between legal advice and possible or likely commercial outcomes. This has regularly led to us making more informed commercial decisions."
• "The team is very responsive and we have great access to senior individuals, including partners, whenever required." 

Chambers and Partners, Australia, Energy & Natural Resources 2023

• "They have a highly capable, well-balanced team; key team members are very responsive and always contactable, with a good level of commerciality amongst the senior team."
• "They are an experienced, solution-oriented team with good deal exposure; their commercial outlook is supported by broad transaction experience."
• "They have great depth of talent within the teams, coupled with leading bench strength across practice areas and excellent senior partner client relationship management."

Chambers and Partners, Australia, Private Equity 2023

• Asia-Pacific Law Firm of the Year
  Chambers Asia Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2023
• Innovative Law Firm (headquartered outside of Asia Pacific)
  FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Asia 2023
• Innovative Lawyers in Transforming Industries
  FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Asia 2023