Corporate, M&A and Capital Markets partners Rory Moriarty and David Wilkie led our team, assisted by special counsel Ben Cosentino and lawyers Dane McKeen and Samuel Pullin. Banking & Financial Services (BFS) partners Alex Schlosser and Kate O’Donovan, assisted by senior associate Candace Hennessy and lawyer Charles Leu, advised on the financing aspects of the transaction, while Commercial Litigation partner Fred Prickett and special counsel Emily Tranter advised on the litigation and regulatory aspects, and Workplace Relations, Employment & Safety partner Amanda Lyras advised on the employment aspects.
The team was supported by a large group of partners and lawyers across our firm, who worked alongside a number of local and international law firms on all aspects of the transaction, including, corporate, M&A, regulatory (including FIRB and gaming), banking and finance, employment, industrial relations, real estate, tax, environment and sustainable development, competition, IP & technology, insurance, AML/CTF and more.
Commenting on today's successful completion, David Wilkie said:
Clayton Utz is delighted to have assisted Blackstone in one of the most significant, complex and challenging transactions in Australia - as well as Blackstone’s largest ever in the Asia-Pacific. This transaction highlights the increasing role of global investment firms in Australian public company M&A. Blackstone's investment was made in a highly regulated industry and in circumstances where Crown itself was undergoing intense public scrutiny.
BFS partners Alex Schlosser and Kate O'Donovan added:
We're both excited and grateful to have been able to work with Blackstone on the financing of this landmark deal. The size and complexity of the funding package that was able to be achieved is testament to the depth and sophistication of the private credit market willing to deploy capital in Australia (whether as TLB or unitranche) on mega-transactions, such as this.