John Williamson-Noble

Biography

John is a partner in our Corporate Advisory group and past Chair of the Corporate and M+A Committee of the International Bar Association (the world’s leading organisation of international lawyers).

He has lead transactions which, at the time, were Australia’s largest IPO (Qantas), merger (Westpac and St. George) and private equity deal (KKR’s Brambles deal).

He has been recognised as a leading lawyer in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, corporate governance and private equity in a range of industry guides. He also regularly advises on corporate governance issues.

Experience

John’s experience includes advising:

  • Genex - Australia’s largest listed renewables company - on its takeover by contemporaneous scheme of arrangement and takeover bid by Japanese utilities company, J-Power, for an implied enterprise value of over $1 billion.

  • Australian Clinical Labs on its hostile, reverse, scrip, nil premium takeover bid for Healius – to create Australia’s largest commercial pathology provider and one of the largest in the world.

  • United Malt Group Limited in relation to its scheme of arrangement following the indicative proposal from Malteries Soufflet to acquire all of the ordinary shares on issue for an implied equity value of $2 billion.

  • Calculator Australia in relation to the $3.0 billion de-stapling of Abacus Storage King.

  • Norland on the sale of 100% of the shares on issue in Permaconn to Five V Capital.

  • Cardno International Development on the sale of 100% of the shares in Cardno Emerging Markets (Australia) Pty Ltd, Cardno UK Limited and Cardno Emerging Markets USA Ltd.) to DT Global Australia Pty Ltd.

  • Coca-Cola Amatil on the acquisition of a 45% stake in Made Group.

  • Crescent Capital Partners on its acquisition of CSR’s national Viridian glass business European Energy Exchange on its acquisition of Lacima.

  • GrainCorp on its $3 billion demerger.

Awards and Recognition

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific

    Leading Lawyer in Equity Capital Markets and Private Equity

  • IFLR 1000

    Leading Lawyer in Mergers and Acquisitions