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Nicole is a partner in the Corporate Group specialising in public and private mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions.

Nicole uses her flexible skillset to help clients structure, negotiate and execute strategic corporate transactions. She has particular experience advising on transactions with concurrent or sequential mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and equity capital markets tracks. Nicole is recognised in the most recent edition of Best Lawyers and in 2021 was named Partner of the Year – BigLaw by the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards.

Nicole advises on domestic and cross border transactions in a range of industries, with a focus on the financial services and infrastructure sectors. Nicole’s experience in the financial services and infrastructure sectors includes periods of secondment to Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Brookfield’s Infrastructure Group.

Nicole has also worked with Japanese trading houses and corporations throughout her career. She has lived and studied in Japan and has written and spoken Japanese skills.  

Background

Nicole has a Bachelor of Laws Degree (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (double major in Japanese) from the University of Queensland. She is admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales.

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • Link Group on its proposed acquisition by Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank by scheme of arrangement at an implied enterprise value of $2.1 billion
  • Bowen Coking Coal on its fully underwritten $50m equity raising, comprising a fully underwritten $33 million pro rata accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer and a $17 million institutional placement
  • Beyond International on its scheme of arrangement for its acquisition by Banijay
  • Link Group on its $102 million block trade of 10% of its stake in PEXA and proposed distribution of the remainder of its shareholding in PEXA
  • Ramsay Health Care on its response to KKR’s $20 billion control proposal
  • Brookfield on its acquisition of La Trobe Financial from Blackstone for $1.5 billion
  • Reckon on its sale of its Accountants Practice Management Group for $100 million
  • Link Group in its response to its proposed scheme of arrangement for its acquisition by Dye & Durham and earlier $4 billion (EV) change of control approaches from the PEP / Carlyle consortium and also SS&C
  • IFM on its exit from its investment in Genie Solutions by proposed IPO and ultimate sale to PEP owned The Citadel Group
  • Capgemini on its $233 million acquisition of Empired by scheme of arrangement
  • TAL Dai-ichi Life Australia on its proposed acquisition of Westpac’s life insurance business for $900 million and entry into a 20 year strategic alliance with Westpac
  • Boral on its response to the $8 billion unsolicited takeover bid by Seven Group Holdings 
  • CIMIC on its takeover bid to acquire all the shares in Devine not already held by a subsidiary of CIMIC 
  • Capgemini on its A$95 million acquisition of RXP Services by way of scheme of arrangement
  • on the $1.286 billion IPO of Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure
  • AGL on its acquisition of Click Energy from amaysim for $115 million
  • AMP on its acquisition of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation’s (MUTB) 15% stake in AMP Capital for $460 million
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) on its sale of a 55% stake in Colonial First State to KKR, valuing Colonial First State, which has $135 billion in funds under administration, at $3.3 billion
  • Ramsay Health Care on its $1.5 billion fully underwritten placement and non-underwritten SPP
  • Caltex Australia (now Ampol) on its proposed IPO of a 49% interest in 250 core freehold sites, ultimately sold to a consortium of Charter Hall and GIC
  • CBA on its $4.2 billion sale of Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM), a fund manager with $219 billion in assets under management, to MUTB, as well as CBA’s earlier proposals to IPO and demerge CFSGAM
  • AGL on its strategic acquisition of Southern Phone Company Limited from 35 local councils
  • AGL on its proposed $3.17 billion acquisition of Vocus Group Limited by scheme of arrangement
  • CBA on its proposed $8 billion demerger of certain of its wealth and mortgage broking businesses
  • CBA on its proposed $3.8 billion sale of its Australian and New Zealand life insurance business to AIA
  • a consortium led by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners on its proposed $9 billion acquisition of Asciano Limited
  • UGL Limited on the $475 million takeover bid for all of the shares in UGL by a subsidiary of CIMIC Group Limited
  • Investa Listed Funds Management Limited as responsible entity for the ASX listed Investa Office Fund on the proposed $2.5 billion acquisition of the fund by DEXUS Property Group by trust scheme
  • Growthpoint Properties Australia on its $331 million takeover bid for GPT Metro Office Fund
  • Metcash Limited on its $165 million acquisition of the Home Timber & Hardware Group, including its $80 million placement and $20 million share purchase plan to partly fund the acquisition
  • Mitsui & Co., Ltd on its sell-down of its interest in ASX listed Sims Metal Management Limited
  • Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec on its 44% stake in insurance distributor Greenstone