Mark Vanderneut advises a wide range of Australian and international clients on corporate transactions including schemes of arrangement, takeovers, private M&A, joint ventures and restructures. Mark has extensive experience advising private capital clients, including Australian superannuation funds, and expertise in raising capital and restructuring and insolvency work. Mark is a senior member of the KWM superannuation and pension fund investments practice. His sector experience includes financial services, food & agribusiness, energy & resources and industrials.
Mark is a key part of the KWM team that is focused on helping shape public policy on corporate law matters, including submissions on law reform, advocacy with regulators and industry positions on complex areas of law. He is a member of the Corporations Committee of the Law Council of Australia.
Mark is the author of the takeovers chapter in Ford, Austin and Ramsay's Principles of Corporations Law and is a guest lecturer on Mergers & Acquisitions Law at the University of Technology Sydney.
Mark has acted for a number of clients in proceedings before the Australian Takeovers Panel, including Healius in Healius Limited [2023] ATP 6, Taurus Funds Management in Finders Resources Limited 03R [2018] ATP 11, Noble Group in Gloucester Coal Limited 01 [2009] ATP 6, and Origin Energy in Origin Energy Limited 02 [2008] ATP 23.
Mark’s recent work highlights:
- Qatar Airways: acquisition of a minority equity stake in Virgin Australia
- Blackrock: acquisition of AirTrunk
- A2B: acquisition A2B by ComfortDelGro by way of scheme of arrangement
- Healius: defence of a hostile reverse takeover bid made by Australian Clinical Labs
- Woolworths Group: counter-bid for Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
- Brookfield Capital Partners: acquisition of Healthscope by way of scheme of arrangement and simultaneous takeover bid
- Innovation Holdings: acquisition of iSelect by way of scheme of arrangement
- Steadfast: off-market takeover bid for IBNA
- EagleView (a portfolio company of Vista Equity Partners): acquisition of Spookfish by way of scheme of arrangement
- Australian Ethical: acquisition of the Altius Asset Management business from Australian Unity
- HESTA: merger of housing developer and manager Assemble with specialist affordable housing investment manager Super Housing Partnerships
- EMR Capital: sale of the Martabe gold and silver mine
- EMR Capital and 29 Metals: initial public offering and listing of 29 Metals on ASX
- EMR Capital: subscription for convertible notes issued by ASX-listed Highfield Resources
- EMR Capital: establishment of its Zambian joint venture with KoBold Metals
- PSP: co-investment with KKR on a commercial office tower in Singapore
- Gryphon Investors: acquisition of Mechanix Wear
- Apollo Global Management: advising on its block trade of 70.6 million ordinary shares in Challenger Limited valued at A$460 million
- Washington H. Soul Pattison: advising Washington H. Soul Pattison as investor in convertible bond issued by TSX/ASX listed NexGen
- Flight Centre: institutional placement and accelerated pro rata non-renounceable entitlement offer in rapid response to the impact of COVID-19 on travel
- Lion Group: a range of transactions, including its:
- acquisition of the Fermentum Group
- acquisition of Four Pillars
- disposal of its Australian dairy and drinks business
- disposal of its specialty cheese business
- disposal of its stake in Remedy Drinks
- Greater Bank: merger with Newcastle Permanent Building Society by way of statutory transfer to create Newcastle Greater Mutual Group
- Farmcove: acquisition of St Andrew’s Insurance from
- St Andrew’s Insurance: acquisition of Hallmark Insurance
- Westpac: sale of its general insurance business
- Cuscal: advising on the capital raising undertaken by its subsidiary, 86,400
- Granicus (a portfolio company of Vista Equity Partners & Harvest Partners): acquisitions of Bang the Table and OpenCities
- Jamf: acquisition of Mondada
- Gerard Lighting Group (managed or advised by Investec and Bain Capital Credit): disposal of two of its major lighting brands, “Sylvania” and “Austube”
- Jervois: recapitalisation by way of US Chapter 11 and voluntary administration processes, and prior to that the issue of convertible notes
- administration of Clough (including sale of core business to Webuild and proposed sale of RUC to Murray & Roberts)
- the receivership of Basslink (including sale to APA Group)
- the receivership of the New Wilkie Energy Group
- Vision Group Retail: acquisition Hivery from during its receivership
- Woolworths Group’s exit from its Home Improvement business (including the sale of Home Timber & Hardware to Metcash, the inventory liquidation and closure of the Masters business and the sale of Hydrox Holdings Pty Limited (the owner of freehold and leasehold property assets used in the Masters business) to the Home Consortium)
- administration of Disability Services Australia (including sale to Scope)
- administration of Jewel Fine Foods (including sale to Chef Fresh Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Coles Group)
- liquidation of JB Financial Group
- Tiger Resources: restructuring of its secured debt facilities by way of creditors’ scheme of arrangement
