About Stuart

Stuart is a Partner in the Maddocks Sydney Corporate team specialising in advising private capital sponsors and founders on mid-market M&A transactions. He thrives on delivering commercially pragmatic results by drawing on his depth of experience sitting on both sides of the table. Stuart sees technical excellence as a given for a lawyer but sees great value in an ability to assist clients in navigating risk to get the deal done. 

Stuart is an experienced corporate lawyer specialising in private capital transactions, advising sponsors and portfolio companies across the investment cycle from structuring advice and establishment through minority stakes and complex buyouts to eventual exits by way of trade sale, secondaries and IPO. 

In addition, Stuart has advised a range of founders and private company shareholders on the sale of companies to private equity and trade buyers and delivers significant value in advising on the post-completion transition for vendors.

Stuart has advised on a broad range of complex corporate deals including private treaty M&A transactions, public company takeovers, strategic advice regarding corporate structure and management equity incentive plans, equity capital markets work (including initial public offerings and public equity fundraising) and advising on general corporate and regulatory issues including ASIC, FIRB, ASX, mandatory notification and Takeovers Panel matters.

Stuart is known for his commercial and pragmatic approach and ease to work with. According to independent client surveys, clients find Stuart ‘technically excellent’ who ‘quickly becomes a key team member’.

Experience

• Private Equity
  • Quintet Partners – advising Quintet Partners on its investment in executive search business, Derwent Search.
  • PE club transaction – advising Madaus Capital Partners, Silverfern Group and Friday Capital on its acquisition of telecommunications infrastructure company CPS Technology and Infrastructure Pty Limited.
  • Direct Capital – advising Direct Capital on the acquisition of the Australian business of the Hiway Group as a secondary sale by Riverside back to Direct Capital.
  • Yorkway Private – advising Yorkway Private on its growth investment in Prestige Inhome Care Pty Limited, a premium in-home aged and NDIS care services.
  • Direct Capital – advising Direct Capital on the acquisition of the Australian businesses of Wet & Forget, a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of outdoor and indoor household cleaning products.
  • Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited (ASX: SOL) – advising the wholly owned Aquatic Achievers held in the Soul Patts Private Equity portfolio, on its acquisition of the pre-eminent swim school operator, Carlile Swimming.
  • Exact Radiology – advising the private equity shareholders of Exact Radiology, Direct Capital, Quintet Partners and Bridgeport Capital, on the sale of the Exact Radiology to Carlisle Health as part of its roll-up strategy.
  • Direct Capital – advising Direct Capital on its investment in Pop Holdings, an underwriting services business in the W&I and financial lines insurance sector.
  • Beca Group Limited – advising Beca, a leading private equity backed engineering and professional services firm in the Asia Pacific, on the acquisition of Hunter H2O Group, to create Australasia’s leading water industry consultancy.
  • Baby Village – advising the founders of Baby Village, a leading player in the Australian specialty baby goods retail space, on their sale to Australian private equity firm, Liverpool Partners.  
  • Quintet Yorkway – advising Quintet Yorkway on the management buyout of Infrastructure Advisory Group (IAG), a leading Australian infrastructure advising group, and the subsequent acquisition by IAG of XKG Advisory.
  • Direct Capital – advising Direct Capital on the management buyout of Mondiale Freight Services Limited and on the subsequent acquisitions of VISA Global Logistics Pty Limited and Customs Agency Services Pty Limited to create an international freight and logistics business with a combined annual revenue of A$1.2 billion.
  • Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited (ASX: SOL) – advising WHSP on the sale of its investment in Seven Miles Coffee Roasters.
  • Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited (ASX: SOL) – advising WHSP on a hybrid debt / equity investment in the technology sector.
  • Pitt Capital Partners – advising Pitt Capital Partners, a wholly-owned subsidiary of WHSP on its acquisition of Aquatic Achievers Swim Schools and multiple follow-on bolt-on acquisitions.
  • Direct Capital – advising Direct Capital, on its investment into Exact Radiology, a diagnostic imaging business operating and servicing a network of 13 radiology clinics in South East Queensland, Australia.
  • Realm Resources Limited (ASX: RRP) – advising on a re-compliance listing on ASX and associated capital raise including general ASX and ASIC regulatory advice.
  • Marvel Packers Pty Limited – advising the shareholders of Marvel Packers, including Direct Capital, on the sale of Marvel Packers to Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (NYSE: LW).
  • Direct Capital – advising Direct Capital on the management buyout of Marvel Packers Pty Limited, a manufacturer of potato based products, specialising in the production of frozen French fries.
  • Big River Group Pty Ltd – advising on the sale to the private equity firm, Anacacia Capital (transaction value not disclosed).
  • Guardian Early Learning Group – advising Navis Capital owned early childcare company on various roll-up acquisitions in the child care and early learning and development industry.
• Founder sell side transactions / advice
  • PowerNet Constructions – advising the founders of PowerNet Constructions on the sale to Ventia Limited (ASX: VNT).
  • Baby Village – advising the founders of Baby Village, a leading player in the Australian specialty baby goods retail space, on their sale to Australian private equity firm, Liverpool Partners.  
  • Best Health Solutions – advising the founders of Best Health Solutions on the sale of the end-to-end pharmacy automation business to The Growth Fund.
  • Medico-Legal & Psychological Services Pty Ltd – advising on the sale of the business to JustKapital Limited, an ASX listed litigation funder.
  • Big River Group Pty Ltd – advising on the sale to the private equity firm, Anacacia Capital (transaction value not disclosed).
  • Soap Creative Pty Limited – advising the founders of this digital creative agency, in relation to sale of the Company to Dentsu Aegis Network (transaction value not disclosed).
• Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Vinyl Group Limited – advising ASX listed Vinyl Group Limited (ASX: VNL) on various bolt-on scale music technology and media acquisitions.
  • Besgate Group – advising on the acquisition of One Sydney Park
  • Australian Retirement Trust – advising Australian Retirement Trust on the acquisition of a 49% interest in Mirvac Industrial Venture across four tranches (total investment ~$700 million) and  the acquisition of a 49% interest in the mixed use site Locomotive Workshop in South Eveleigh (~$320 million) from Mirvac Limited.
  • CBG Capital Limited (ASX: CBC) – advising, CBG Capital, an Australian equities listed investment company, on its response to the off-market takeover bid by Clime Capital Limited.
  • Realm Resources Limited (ASX: RRP) – advising metallurgical coal producer Realm Resources Limited on its response to the off-market takeover bid by T2 Resources Fund Pty Limited including advising the non-affiliated directors on a range of complex takeover and regulatory issues and Takeover Panel proceedings.
  • Pan Pacific Petroleum NL – advising on its takeover defence in respect of the on-market takeover offer from Zeta Resources Limited (transaction value A$30 million).  
  • Soap Creative Pty Limited – advising the founders of this digital creative agency, in relation to sale of the Company to Dentsu Aegis Network (transaction value not disclosed).
  • Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. – advising on its acquisition of a substantial interest in Whitehaven Coal Limited (estimated transaction value A$400 million).
  • Macmahon Holdings Limited – advising on the sale of its construction business to Leighton Holdings Limited.
  • Coca-Cola Amatil Limited – advising on the formation, and subsequent sale (transaction value A$300 million), of the Pacific Beverages Limited joint venture arrangements with SABMiller plc.
  • Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. – advising on the equity aspects of the various financing facilities provided to the Tinkler Group including corporate and derivative structuring and sell side advice in respect of the Aston Resources Limited scheme of arrangement and Boardwalk Resources Limited private treaty M&A transaction (total value of the transactions A$2.6 billion).
  • Pacific Beverages Limited – advising it and its joint venture parties, Coca-Cola Amatil Limited and SAB Miller plc, on the acquisition of Bluetongue Brewery Pty Limited.
  • Coca-Cola Amatil Limited – advising on the 10 year exclusive manufacturing and distribution arrangements with Beam Global Australia Pty Limited.
  • Northwest Nonferrous International Investment Company Ltd – advising this Chinese state owned entity on the acquisition of Meridian Minerals Limited by scheme of arrangement (transactional value A$68 million).
  • Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd – advising this Chinese state owned entity on its bid for Sucrogen Limited (CSR Limited's sugar business) (bid value A$1.75 billion).
  • Boart Longyear Limited – advising on the acquisition of DrillCorp Limited from Avatar Industries Limited (transaction value A$134 million).
• ECM
  • Vinyl Group Limited – advising ASX listed, Vinyl Group Limited (ASX: VNL) on various capital raisingsthrough rights issues, placements and convertible notes.
  • Realm Resources Limited (ASX: RRP) – advising on a re-compliance listing on ASX and associated capital raise including general ASX and ASIC regulatory advice.
  • Veritas Securities Limited – advising on its role as Lead Manager and Underwriter of a number of ANREOs and capital raisings.
  • Western Areas Limited – advising on its fully underwritten A$50 million share placement and A$15 million share purchase plan.
  • Platinum Asset Management Limited – advising on the company's initial public offering and listing on the Australian Stock Exchange (market cap on listing of A$2.8 billion).
• Structuring and regulatory
  • Sunsuper – advising Sunsuper on the replacement of AMP Capital by Mirvac as its real estate mandate as investment manager and trustee of various assets.
  • Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited (ASX: SOL) – advising WHSP on a hybrid debt / equity investment in the technology sector.
  • Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company Limited (ASX: SOL) – advising WHSP on the corporate structuring for the acquisition and development of assets in the retirement living sector.
  • Realm Resources Limited (ASX: RRP) – advising on a re-compliance listing on ASX and associated capital raise including general ASX and ASIC regulatory advice.
  • Coca-Cola Amatil Limited – advising on the formation, and subsequent sale (transaction value A$300 million), of the Pacific Beverages Limited joint venture arrangements with SABMiller plc.
  • Google Inc. – advising on the development and implementation of a complex cross-border corporate structure used to facilitate the in-house development of "Google Wave" by Google.