HWL Ebsworth is advising the consortium led by Hong Kong listed Mason Group Holdings Limited, together with strategic investors, Aldworth Equity Management Limited, WeDoctor Holdings Limited (WeDoctor) on the proposed acquisition of 89.5% of Australia’s leading IVF provider, Genea Limited (Genea). Genea is Australia’s third-largest reproductive services provider. WeDoctor (which is backed by technology giant Tencent) is a major online healthcare solutions platform with 27 million regular users in China.
The team is led by Melbourne Corporate Partner Thomas Kim, and Senior Associate Marianna Parry.
The team has advised the Consortium on due diligence, scheme negotiations and structuring. It will now assist the Consortium in the next phase of the transaction, in seeking Court approval for the Scheme of Arrangement and Foreign Investment Review Board approval. The transaction is subject to agreement of Genea’s shareholders.
This is the second major transaction in Australia the firm is undertaking for Mason Group. In July last year, the Melbourne corporate team led by Jeremy McCarthy, Yan Li Wang and Paul Lewis acted in the successful acquisition of a controlling stake in Blend and Pack Pty Ltd, an infant formula and nutritional products manufacturer, together with Wattle Health Australia Limited.
Mr. Joel Chang, Chief Operating Officer of Mason Group, said: “The Transaction marks another crucial step for the expansion of Mason Group’s footprint as Asia’s leading IVF medical platform. Following the successful merger of Reproductive Healthcare Limited and The Women’s Clinic in Hong Kong and the establishment of the Reproductive Healthcare Group, we believe that Genea will be a valuable addition to Mason’s medical service and biotechnology platform in catering for the growing demand for high quality IVF treatment by medical tourists from China. WeDoctor’s strong network and resources in China can help Genea grow and expand its fertility and IVF medical device and consumable businesses across the Asia Pacific, especially in China.”
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