International

 

With a large number of existing international clients and Australian clients deciding to take on the global economy, our long established international team has the expertise and experience to support these companies.

We are a full service, independent business law firm with a reputation as a leading law firm across a number of core areas of practice and sectors. To many of our clients, we are also a commercial advisor and strategic partner, operating as an extension of their team.

Over many years, our lawyers have been advising on cross border transactions and disputes and developing a practical understanding of the business environment outside of Australia. By remaining an independent firm, when many in Australia merged to become global, we have the flexibility to work with clients and other firms with fewer restrictions.

We have several international desks led by partners and senior lawyers who are native speakers and understand first hand, the commercial and legal issues of doing business in that country.

Experience snapshot

  • Advised Spirit Super on the divestment of its interest in two foreign currency denominated syndicated loans to separate European infrastructure entities, each of which represented an interest of approximately A$45-55 million.
  • Advised Lumi Interactive, an Australian female-founded team of game developers, on its US$6.75 million (approximately A$9.76 million) series seed priced equity capital raise round.
  • Advised Deluxe Small Business Sales, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NYSE-listed Deluxe Corporation, on the sale of all its shares in Hostopia Australia Holding Co Pty Ltd to Newfold Digital, Inc.
  • Advised UK-headquartered international architectural practice Weston Williamson + Partners on the Australian aspects of the company’s sale to major consulting and engineering group Egis.
  • Advised German-headquartered company Putzmeister on its acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Australian-based CPE Machinery Pty Ltd.
  • Advised Aon on the sale of Aon Solutions Australia Limited, the operator of the ‘smartMonday’ superannuation business, to Future Superannuation Group.
  • Acted on Focus Financial Partners acquisition of Melbourne-headquartered ultra-high net worth financial adviser Escala Partners.
  • Advised leading international medical technology consultancy PharmaLex GmbH on its acquisition of a majority interest in Australian health science consultancy Brandwood CKC.
  • Advising one of the world’s largest international skincare and cosmetics companies headquartered in South Korea on the acquisition of a significant minority interest in shares in an Australian company with a well-known luxury skincare brand.
  • Advising Baxters Food Group, an international family-owned food manufacturing business headquartered in Fochabers, Scotland, with operations in the UK, Poland, Canada and Australia. We acted for Baxters in three acquisitions in Australia and the team has provided services across our corporate & commercial, property, employment and banking groups in a range of matters, including the acquisition of complementary Australian food manufacturers and associated brands.
  • Acting for the head company of a UK-based family-owned global publishing business with distribution in the US, Asia and Australia. The project involved the restructure and sale of the Australian business.
  • Providing corporate and commercial advice to Weyco Group Inc in the US in the acquisition of a majority interest in the Australian licensee, Florsheim Australia Pty Ltd. Florsheim was at that time a family-controlled company listed on the NYSE.
  • Advising a supplier of automotive aftermarket products on its multi-million dollar acquisition of all shares in a leading manufacturer and supplier of Australian designed suspension solutions for commercial vehicles. This involved conducting due diligence on the target business, negotiating the sale contract, and assisting our client and shareholder representatives in South Africa with pre and post-completion matters.
  • Assisting with all aspects of the restructure and sale of the operator of a New Zealand transport company’s Australian lubricants supply business. We assisted with all aspects of the multi-million-dollar transaction, including assisting with pre-sale structuring, due diligence, preparation and negotiation of all transaction documents, sale price structuring, and assisting with completion steps and related transactions.
  • Advising Boost Juice founders Janine and Jeff Allis in the sale of a majority stake in Boost Investment Group to US-based private equity firm The Riverside Company.
  • Acting for Intershop Communications AG, a German-based eCommerce software provider, in the entering into of major IT contracts with various clients including Telstra and Australia Post.
  • Advising Austrian-based Knill Group on their acquisition of an Australian company.
  • Advising Einhell Germany AG on their acquisition of the Ozito group of companies.
  • Worked on behalf of Shaunglin Automotive Parts Manufacturing Co on purchasing Australian and Chinese operations from Geely Holdings Group worth US$500 million, including the preparation and review of contracts of sale, joint venture contracts and distribution and guaranteed supply agreements in China.
  • Negotiating a A$20 million acquisition by a high-profile Chinese celebrity of a minority shareholding in an Australian organics business, including drafting downstream Chinese distribution and marketing agreements.
  • Negotiated a multi-million-dollar joint venturing investment by Intense Solar China into an Australian solar energy equipment R&D and manufacturing company, including negotiations of IP licenses, distribution and shareholder arrangements.
  • Negotiated a A$80 million investment by major Chinese State Owned Dairy Enterprise in investing in and joint venturing with an Australia dairy producer to build an infant formulae manufacturing plant in regional Victoria and a five-year annual off take agreement for infant formulae into China worth in excess of A$1 billion.
  • Negotiating a A$40 million joint venture between an Australian private dairy producer and a large Chinese regional infant formulae producer to construct and develop an infant formulae canning line in Victoria and the drafting and negotiation of long term supply and off take agreements.
  • Acting for global packaging giant Sealed Air Corporate, famous for inventing Bubble Wrap®, in relation to the Australian aspects of the sale of its Diversey Care division. The global value of the deal is US$3.2 billion.
  • Acting for travel information company Lonely Planet founders, Tony and Maureen Wheeler, on the sale of a 75% interest in Lonely Planet to BBC Worldwide.
  • Acting for Sauber Motorsport AG in high-profile and urgent proceedings brought by former driver Giedo van der Garde immediately prior to the 2015 Melbourne Grand Prix.
  • Acting for APN Property Group on bilateral and syndicated cross border facility agreements for 36 retail properties in seven European countries, including Germany and Austria.
  • Acting for Wengfu (Group) Co. Ltd, a Chinese State Owned Enterprise, in its proposed acquisition of an Australian fertiliser distribution business.

International recognition

Chambers Firm logo 2023 - website

We are ranked in thirteen practice areas in Chambers Asia Pacific 2024. Seventeen Hall & Wilcox partners are ranked as leading individuals in their respective areas.

Best Lawyers - Firm Logo

Hall & Wilcox has over 70 lawyers ranked in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia. The recognised lawyers come from a variety of different practice areas, including commercial law, superannuation, employment law, real estate property law, insurance law, tax law and litigation.

Legal 500 - leading-firm-2024

Hall & Wilcox has been recognised in 15 practice areas by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024.

Mergermarket, an Acuris company, logo

MergerMarket Australia M&A Awards 2020

Winner, M&A Collaboration of the Year

Key contacts

Oliver Jankowsky
Partner & Head of International Practice
  • Fluent in German - Native speaker

Oliver is a corporate and commercial lawyer, with particular expertise in advising foreign clients on cross-border transactions.

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Mark is an employment lawyer experienced in litigious and non-litigious applications of employment and industrial relations law.

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Our team

Jacqui Barrett
Partner & Head of US Desk

Jacqui assists clients with mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring, capital raisings and managed investment schemes.

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  • Fluent in French - Conversational | German - Conversational

Chris advises on public company takeovers and private M&A deals; business and share sales, equity investments and joint ventures.

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Eugene Chen
Partner & Head of China Practice
    Fluent in Mandarin

Eugene advises Australian and Chinese clients on capital raising, funds management, licensing, anti-money laundering and more.

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Kristopher leads the firm's migration practice. He specialises in employment-related migration to Australia.

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Ed advises on mergers and acquisitions, with a focus on mid-market deals, distressed M&A and inbound international transactions.

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  • Fluent in Spanish

Albert is a commercial disputes lawyer with a focus on construction litigation. He is also a nationally accredited mediator.

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    Fluent in French | German | Russian | Spanish

Dr Wolfgang Babeck has over 20 years’ experience as a corporate & commercial lawyer. He co-heads our European desk.

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Audrey Leahy
Special Counsel & Head of Irish Desk
  • Fluent in French

Audrey is a specialist commercial property lawyer with over 15 years' experience, specialising in property development.

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