Hall & Wilcox advises Carlton & United Breweries on boutique brewery joint venture

Hall & Wilcox has advised Carlton & United Breweries on a joint venture with Phil Sexton, one of the founders of Australia's craft beer industry, to establish a boutique brewery in Victoria's Yarra Valley.

The deal represents an important expansion for CUB's existing Matilda Bay label. The new brewery will develop and create a new Matilda Bay range, and will also produce some well-known Matilda Bay beers such as Redback and Dogbolter.

The partnership will see Sexton's Giant Steps winery in Healesville transform into the new brewery with a pub attached. Construction is set to start in the coming weeks, with the brewery expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Hall & Wilcox acted for CUB on the corporate and real estate aspects of the deal. Corporate & Commercial Partner James Morvell led the Hall & Wilcox team comprising Senior Associate James Bull and Lawyer Vanessa Murphy, with support from Property & Projects Special Counsel Steve Aitchison.

James Morvell said he was delighted to have advised on this deal for CUB. 'We are pleased our legal expertise in novel joint ventures and property development projects resulted in an excellent outcome for our client, as well as the successful formation of a joint venture with one of the pioneers of craft brewing, Phil Sexton,' he said.

Hall & Wilcox's Corporate and Commercial team advises on all aspects of corporate law and regulation affecting public and private companies, private equity firms and management teams. Our expertise includes mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, shareholders arrangements, as well as management buyouts and buy-ins (MBOs/MBIs).

Partner James Morvell specialises in equity capital markets, public and private M&A and corporate advisory. He has extensive transactional experience in the funds management and real estate investment trust sectors. James is recommended in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2018 in corporate and M&A, and is a Recommended Corporate & Commercial Lawyer (SME & Mid-Market Matters) (Victoria) in Doyle's Guide to the Australian Legal Profession 2018.