Antonella Pacitti is a public markets specialist, with a reputation for guiding her clients to realise optimal capital structuring outcomes and value delivery to stakeholders through strategic M&A. Her sector focus is predominantly Energy & Resources, with deep experience in the Industrials sectors too.
Antonella has more than 20 years of dealmaking experience, and her capabilities span all facets of M&A and equity capital markets work. Antonella works from a strong governance foundation, regularly guiding boards of directors and management in their responses to complex legal and commercial issues. Her approach translates equally across our clients’ decision making function and she is noted for her commercial instinct.
Antonella’s experience includes working with:
- Newmont: on its AUD26b acquisition of Newcrest Mining by scheme of arrangement
- Allkem: on its AUD15.7b all-stock merger of equals with Livent Corp, to create a leading global lithium chemicals producer called Arcadium Lithium, and before that for Galaxy Resources on its AUD4b merger with Allkem (then known as Orocobre Limited), having previously acted on its AUD161m equity raising and financing package
- Northern Star: on its successful offering of USD600m senior guaranteed notes, its AUD16 billion merger of equals with Saracen Mineral Holdings, and before that on its USD800m acquisition of a 50% interest in KCGM (including the iconic Super Pit) and the associated equity raising.
- Iluka Resources: on its strategic partnership with Northern Minerals, involving the acquisition of a multi-tranche equity position
- Beach Energy: on its contested, proposed acquisition of Warrego Energy
- B2Gold Corp of Canada: on its acquisition of Oklo Resources, by way of members scheme of arrangement
- Western Areas: on its acquisition by IGO, which valued Western Areas at AUD1.096b
- Navitas on the disposal of its StudyLink business to NASDAQ-listed Flywire Corporation, and before that on its AUD2.3 billion acquisition by a private equity consortium led by BGH Capital (and also involving a founding shareholder and then current director of Navitas, and Australian Super)
- Programmed Maintenance Services on its acquisition by PERSOL Holdings Co. Ltd. of Japan (for AUD992m enterprise value), and continuing to act for both Programmed and PERSOL since, including on Programmed’s recent acquisition of the Western Australian public housing maintenance provider, Pindan Asset Management (then in administration) and Kincare's Australia-wide, in-home disability support business
- Hancock Prospecting on its contested (and ultimately successful) unsolicited, off-market takeover bid for Atlas Iron (valued at approximately AUD427m), including advising on Takeovers Panel proceedings brought in the course of the bid
- HBF Health, WA's largest private health insurer, on its acquisition of allied health and physiotherapy business, Life Ready Health Group
- Automotive Holdings Group on its response to an unsolicited, and ultimately agreed, off-market takeover bid by Eagers Automotive (formerly known as A.P. Eagers). The combined market capitalisation of the merged group was approximately AUD2.3b, with the bid valuing AHG at approximately AUD836m on a standalone basis
- Macmahon Holdings on its successful defence of an off-market takeover bid by CIMIC Group (valued at approximately AUD175m), including advising on Takeovers Panel proceedings brought in the course of the bid
- Atlas Iron on its financial restructuring by way of creditors scheme of arrangement, involving a debt for equity swap and release of Sons of Gwalia style subordinate claims without requiring a meeting of those creditors (the first time that the relevant provisions of the Corporations Act had been applied and approved by the courts)
