Rob Kelly is a corporate partner in our Melbourne office.
Rob specialises in M&A (public and private), joint ventures and restructures, public company/listed trust work and investment funds. He has led major transactions across a range of sectors with a focus on the investment funds, financial services, real estate, infrastructure and government sectors.
Rob’s work highlights include:
- Pendal Group: advising Pendal on its listed takeover defence of Perpetual’s $2.5 billion proposal for Pendal Group funds management business
- Australian Unity: advising Australia Unity on various transactions including the listed Australian Unity Office Fund on its proposed takeover by Aliro Group, the unlisted Australian Unity Diversified Property Fund on its proposed merger with the listed Australian Unity Office Fund, Australian Unity’s subscription and tender offer arrangements in relation to the Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust and the establishment of a wholesale property development fund for the development of its former head office at 114 Albert Road
- MaxCap Group: advising MaxCap on its wholesale fund establishment and capital raising activities including the establishment of the MaxCap Diversified Property Fund and its New Zealand residential property fund (partnering with Winton Limited)
- Future Fund: advising Future Fund on various transactions including A$1 billion acquisition of AIX’s airport assets and ongoing transactions/management of those assets and several smaller infrastructure, fund and venture capital investments
- Invest Victoria / Department of Treasury (Victoria): advising Invest Victoria/the Department of Treasury on the establishment of a government-sponsored Victorian venture growth fund
- Seek Limited: advising Seek Limited on various investments, including in relation to the establishment of the $1.7b SEEK Growth Fund and transfer of its early stage venture portfolio
- Home Consortium Limited: advising alternative asset manager Home Consortium on its head company restructure by way of de-stapling and scheme of arrangement
Dexus Property Group: advising Dexus on various transactions including its restructure of its listed balance sheet assets (market capitalisation of A$11bn) by way of stapling proposal - Investec Bank: advising Investec on the internationalisation of the management of the listed Investec Australian Property Fund (later Irongate) and exit arrangements for its Australian business
- Latitude Financial Services: advising Latitude Financial Services in relation to both its initial public offering and listing on the Australian Securities Exchange and a number of major transactions preparatory to its listing including a major restructuring of the Australian and New Zealand Latitude Group business and the sell-down of a 10% interest in Latitude to Shinsei Bank.
- Lynas Rare Earths: advising rare earths mining company Lynas on various transactions including its takeover defence of Wesfarmers’ $1.5 billion proposal and its $400m capital raising
- Iress Limited: advising Iress on its $300m acquisition of listed funds administration business OneVue Limited by way of scheme of arrangement
- Homes Victoria / DFFH (Victoria): advising Homes Victoria on funding and tender arrangements associated with the Victorian Government’s $500m social housing building and maintenance stimulus package
- The Department of Premier and Cabinet (Victoria): advising DPC on the market process associated with the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and transfer of service provision and assets for supported independent living services to the non-government sector in Victoria
- Australia Post: advising Australia Post on various transactions including A$400m acquisition of StarTrack Express from Qantas and associated unwinding of joint venture arrangements, acquisition of SecurePay payment gateway business and joint venture arrangements with Singapore based Alpha Payments Cloud and Australia based courier business MailPlus
- Asciano: advising Asciano on its highly contested A$9 billion+ takeover bid, initially from Brookfield and subsequently from a joint Qube and Brookfield consortium also comprised of GIP, CPPIB, GIC and CIC
- General Electric Company: advising GE on the sale of GE's A$8.2billion Australian consumer finance business through a competitive sale process (now known as Latitude Financial Services)
- Equity Trustees Limited: advising EQT on various transactions including its acquisition of Sandhurst Trustees
- The Trust Company: advising The Trust Company on $300m contested takeover bid and ultimate acquisition by Perpetual of The Trust Company by way of scheme of arrangement
