HWL Ebsworth Lawyers is advising S Kidman & Co Limited, Australia’s largest private landholder, on the sale of the company to a consortium comprising Dakang Australia Holdings Pty Ltd (Dakang Australia) and ASX-listed Australian Rural Capital Ltd (ARC).
The transaction is being led by Jamie Restas (National Head of Commercial team) out of the firm’s Adelaide office, assisted by Nick Karagiannis (Partner) and Shane Lloyd (Senior Associate).
Headquartered in Adelaide, Kidman was founded in 1899 and is Australia’s 5th largest beef cattle producer. The company currently operates 10 cattle stations, a bull breeding stud farm and feedlot covering 101,000 square kilometres across regional South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
S Kidman yesterday announced that, following an international sale process that commenced in April 2015, it has entered into a Bid Implementation Agreement with the consortium. The takeover offers to be made are conditional on a number of terms including obtaining approval of the Federal Treasurer under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act.
“HWL Ebsworth’s team has been involved this transaction since its outset, teaming up closely with Ernst & Young, the sale managers,” said Jamie Restas.
“Being instructed on such an iconic transaction in the Australian market is testament to the growing strengths of the corporate team and wider firm, reflecting the capability to offer quality services to any corporate that operates in a number of Australian jurisdictions” Jamie added.
Note to Editors:
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The firm comprises 1,002 staff including: 198 Partners, 491 other legal staff and 313 support staff across offices in nine locations – Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Norwest (North West Sydney), Perth and Sydney.
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