Australia Japan practice

We have more experience advising Japanese businesses on Australian investments and operations than any other law firm. Some of our recent key matters and transactions include advising:

• Senko Group Holdings on the acquisition of a majority shareholding in the AirRoad Group
• UCC Holdings on its acquisition of Suntory Coffee Australia
• TAL Dai-Ichi Life Australia on its A$900m acquisition of the Westpac Life Insurance business
• Nikko Asset Management on its merger with Yarra Capital Management
• Mitsui’s acquisition with Nomura Holdings of a majority shareholding in New Forests
• Osaka Gas on its acquisition of a minority interest in Australian Integrated Carbon Pty Ltd
• Nippon Paper on its A$1.7 billion acquisition of the fibre packing business of ASX-listed Orora
• Asahi Kasei Homes Australia on their acquisition, together with McDonald Jones Homes, of the Supaloc steel framing business
• Fujitsu General on its acquisition of Precise Air Group AVAC
• MM Capital Partners (owned 90% by Marubeni Corporation, 5% by Mizuho Bank and 5% Asset Management One) on its acquisition of seed assets including: 
  • 49.9% of the shares in Energy Infrastructure Investments;
  • 20% interest in the Sydney Metro Northwest Rail Project; and
  • 30% interest in the Gold Coast Light Rail Project.
• Toll Group on its A$8 billion scheme of arrangement with Japan Post
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia on its A$4.13 billion sale of Colonial First State Global Asset Management to Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation.
• Kokusai Pulp & Paper on its A$90 million scheme of arrangement with ASX-listed Spicers.
• Mitsui on its A$602 million takeover of ASX-listed AWE Limited
• Sumitomo Corporation on its US$30 million farm-in and joint venture agreement with TSX-listed Novo Resources to develop the Egina gold mining project in Western Australia.
• ITOCHU on its A$250 million sale of a 5% indirect interest in the Worsley Alumina Project to Press Metal Aluminium Holdings
• Toyota Tsusho on its A$292 million acquisition of a 15% shareholding in ASX-listed Orocobre
• Challenger on its A$401 million share placement to MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings
• Japan Coal Development on its acquisition of a 5% interest in the Mt Pleasant Coal Project
• JBIC and project financiers on INPEX’s A$33 billion Ichthys LNG project
• Marubeni and Osaka Gas on their joint acquisition of an 80% interest and project financing of APA Group power and midstream gas assets
• Homecorp Constructions on the acquisition of a 51% shareholding by Misawa Homes
• Mitsui on its acquisition of a 22.5% shareholding in New Forests (A$2.8 billion of forestry assets under management)
• McDonald Jones Homes on the acquisition of a 40% shareholding (and a subsequent additional acquisition of a further 40% shareholding) by Asahi Kasei
• IDOM (Gulliver International) on its A$120 million acquisition of a majority shareholding in the DVG Automotive Group
• National Australia Bank on its A$2.4 billion sale of an 80% shareholding in MLC Limited to Nippon Life Insurance
• Dai-ichi Life Insurance on its A$1.2 billion acquisition of Tower Australia
• Suncorp Group Ltd on its A$725 million sale of its Australian life insurance business to TAL Dai-ichi Life Australia Pty Ltd.
• Chandler Macleod on its A$290 million takeover by Recruit Holdings
• Astro Japan Property Trust on its A$1.1 billion sale of Japanese retail, office and residential properties to Blackstone
• Asahi Group on its A$1.2 billion acquisition of Independent Liquor
• Kirin Group on its A$910 million acquisition of Dairy Farmers
• Cadbury-Schweppes on its A$1.185 billion sale of its Australian beverages business to Asahi