HWLE has advised Chadwick Forklifts Pty Ltd (CFL), a leading Australian forklift rental and maintenance provider, on its acquisition by Nikken Corporation, a Tokyo-based global rental and equipment solutions company.

The transaction, completed on 23 December 2025, marked Nikken’s entry into the Australian rental market via the acquisition of 100% of shares in CFL.

CFL, established in 2003 and headquartered in Victoria, has built a strong reputation for its forklift rental and maintenance services across the Victorian market. Nikken plans to leverage its expertise developed in Japan, to enhance CFL’s value proposition while maintaining its focus on safety, sustainability, and community engagement.

The HWLE M&A team was led by Thomas Kim (Partner) and Kenneth Lee (Special Counsel) with valuable assistance from Jack England (Solicitor).

Shane Mathias, CEO of Chadwick Forklifts, said that “We are extremely excited and looking forward to a positive collaboration of people, knowledge, capabilities and shared culture to create a stronger future for all our stakeholders.”

Note to Editors:

HWLE is the largest legal partnership in Australia according to the most recent partnership surveys published by the Australian Financial Review.

The firm comprises 1,813, staff including 287 Partners, 1,122 other legal staff and 404 support staff across offices in nine locations – Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Hobart, Norwest (Northwest Sydney), Perth and Sydney.

HWLE is an independent, nationally integrated, full service commercial law firm, providing tailored and commercially oriented legal services.

HWLE operates a different business model to the other leading national law practices, and this allows us to offer unrivalled value for money without compromising quality and service. Our low ratio of solicitors to partners ensures that our clients receive optimal access to partner resources for all matters.

For further information, please contact:

Russell Mailler, Chief Executive Partner (03) 8644 3569 or rmailler@hwle.com.au

Angelique Kear, Head of Marketing (02) 9334 8541 or akear@hwle.com.au