We have assisted our clients in financing the majority of significant acquisitions in recent years in Australia, both in the leveraged finance and corporate debt markets.

We act for private equity funds, banks, arrangers, syndicates and corporate borrowers for all of their general financing requirements. We operate at the leading edge of the market and so have been involved in the development of a broad range of senior and subordinated financing techniques and products.

Freehills is recognised as a leading firm for all banking and finance categories in industry benchmarking publications such as Chambers Global, Asia Pacific Legal 500 and PLC Which Lawyer?

Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year 2006
Australian Law Awards

Best Financial Law Firm in Australia 2006
Australasian Achievement Awards

Experience

• advised Credit Suisse First Boston and BOS International (Australia) on the debt financing of the acquisition of Emeco by Archer Capital and Pacific Equity Partners (Chris Robertson, Partner, Justin Pelly, Partner and Melita Cottrell, Partner)
• advised Burns Philp on the takeover of Goodman Fielder and it’s A$3 billion financing (Justin Pelly, Partner and Melita Cottrell, Partner)
• advised National Australia Bank and BOS International (Australia) on the debt financing of the acquisition of Pacific Nursing Solutions by CHAMP (John Schembri, Partner) 
• advised UBS on the debt financing of the acquisition of Waco by CCMP Capital (Chris Robertson, Partner and Emma de Carle, Partner)
• advised several banks bidding for the debt financing of the proposed acquisition of Qantas by the APA Consortium, as well as advising Newbridge-TPG  as a member of the APA Consortium on the acquisition (Patrick St John, Partner, Justin Pelly, Partner and Chris Robertson, Partner)
• advised Goldman Sachs JB Were, Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank on the A$3.125 billion financing of the APN News & Media privatisation by INM, Providence Equity and Carlyle Investment Management (John Schembri, Partner)
• advised Goldman Sachs JB Were as stapled financier to each private equity bidder for the NZ$2 billion acquisition of the Yellow Pages Group in New Zealand (John Schembri, Partner, Patrick St John, Partner, Bill Glover, Partner, Chris Robertson, Partner, Emma de Carle, Partner)
• advised UBS, National Australia Bank and Westpac Banking Corporation on the A$307 million financing of the public to private acquisition of Worldwide Restaurant Concepts Inc (KFC and Sizzler) by Pacific Equity Partners (John Schembri, Partner and  Emma de Carle, Partner)
• advised BOS International, The Royal Bank of Scotland and National Australia Bank on the US$815 million leveraged financing of the acquisition of Dyno Nobel by Macquarie Bank (Patrick St John, Partner and Melita Cottrell, Partner)
• advised Pacific Equity Partners on the A$1.1 billion leveraged financing for the proposed acquisition of Flight Centre Limited  (John Schembri, Partner)
• advised Archer Capital on the financing of various of its acquisitions including Paradise Foods and Danka Australia and the leveraged acquisition of Rebel Sport by way of a scheme of arrangement (Emma de Carle, Partner and Chris Robertson, Partner)
• advised Newbridge-TPG, the Myer Family Consortium and financiers on the A$1.4 billion leveraged financing of the Myer retail store business and the Myer Melbourne freehold store (Justin Pelly, Partner, Emma de Carle, Partner, Chris Robertson, Partner and Melita Cottrell, Partner)
• advised Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and Channel Seven on the leveraged financing of the A$4 billion media joint venture between Seven and KKR (Patrick St John, Partner and Melita Cottrell, Partner)
• advised Gresham Private Equity on the financing of its acquisition of Witchery Fashions (Emma de Carle, Partner)
• advised Pacific Equity Partners on the A$284 million leveraged buyout of Vision Fire & Security in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom (John Schembri, Partner and Erin Wakelin, Partner).

Key contacts

John Schembri – Sydney
Emma de Carle – Sydney
Chris Robertson – Sydney
Andrew Booth – Melbourne