About Julian Donnan
Julian specialises in capital markets, M&A, and general corporate advisory work.
He is Co-Head of the firm's Equity Capital Markets Practice Group and is ranked as a leading capital markets lawyer by Chambers Global, Legal500 and Who's Who Legal.
Julian regularly acts for both issuers and lead managers on capital markets transactions involving equity and hybrid securities. He has significant experience in dealing with both the Australian Securities Exchange and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Julian's capital markets experience includes advising the issuers or lead manager on the following transactions:
- IPOs and ASX listings – GQG, Latitude, Keypath, Limeaid, Fineos, Viva Energy, Nitro, Link Market Services, Viva Energy REIT, Aventus Property Group, Magellan Global Fund, Viva Energy, Aurizon (QR National), IDP Education, Oceana Healthcare, Summerset, Charter Hall WALE REIT, Adairs, Platinum Asia Fund, 21st Century Fox, Meridian Energy, Monash Absolute Investment Company Limited, Antipodes Global Investment Company Limited and Watermark Global Leaders Fund Limited
- Entitlement offers – Sydney Airport, Westpac, National Australia Bank, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, APA Group, Wesfarmers, Evolution Mining, Cleanaway, Flight Centre, ALS, St. Barbera
- Institutional placements – Westpac, Dexus, Qube, Oil Search, QBE, IAG, ANZ Bank, National Australia Bank, Macquarie Group, Mirvac, GPT Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, APA Group, Evolution Mining, G8 Education, Qantas, Vocus, Bapcor, Aurelia Metals, Lynas, Hillgrove, ROC Oil, ERA, Smartgroup and Villa World,
- Capital Notes – Westpac, CBA, National Australia Bank, Bank of Queensland, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, and Latitude Financial.
- Convertible Notes (listed on the Singapore exchange) – Washington Soul Pattison, Seven Group Holdings, Dexus, Cromwell, AMA, Zip and Valad Property Group
- Strategic placements -CPPIB/ Qube, Barclays/ Barrenjoey, CIC/ Paladin, EIG/ Senex.
- Block trades – Viva Property REIT, Pendal, Platinum, Caltex Australia.
- Off-market Buy-backs – Westpac, CBA, Qube.
- Dividend Reinvestments Plans – Westpac, National Australia Bank, Magellan, Sydney Airport.
Julian also has significant M&A experience, covering private sales, public takeovers (including the conduct of proceedings before the Takeovers Panel) and court-approved schemes of arrangement.
Julian's M&A experience includes advising on the following transactions:
- Sydney Airport – advised on the bid response and scheme of arrangement in respect of the $23.6 billion takeover by a consortium of Australian and international infrastructure investors (largest cash bid in Australia's history).
- Appen – Advising on its response to a $1.1 billion unsolicited bid by TELUS Corporation.
- CK Hutchison Holdings – on the $15 billion merger of equals between Vodafone Hutchinson Australia and TPG Telecom.
- Villa World – Villa World, as target, on its $400 million acquisition by AVID Property Group by way of scheme.
- AWE – on its responses to the China Energy Reserve and Chemical Group’s takeover bid, and the Mineral and the Mineral Resources and Mitsui $600 million counter-offers.
- APN Outdoor – on its takeover response following a $1.12 billion bid from JCDecauax and acquisition by way of scheme.
- Jacobs Engineering – on its $1.5 billion acquisition by way of scheme of arrangement of Sinclair Knight Merz.
- Magellan – on its $12 billion triple scheme of scheme arrangement to consolidate and restructure its global equity funds.
- West Australian Newspapers on its acquisition of Seven Media Group and related issue of Convertible Unsecured Loan Securities;
- Macquarie Capital Alliance Group – Advised on the take-private by Macquarie by way of scheme of arrangement.
- Private sales – the sale of TPG passive tower assets to OMERS, acquisition by Australian Food & Fibre of Auscott, sale of Sydney Airport's interests in Copenhagen and Brussels Airports to Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
- Internalisation of management - Advised Macquarie Airports on the internalisation of management, including shareholder approval process, court proceedings, and capital raising to fund the buy-out.
- Joint Ventures/ Shareholder Arrangements – Establishment of a joint venture between the Robinson Family and PSP, Barrenjoey (Magellan, Barclays, Employees).
Julian is admitted to practice in New South Wales. He worked for 3 years in the Allens Shanghai Office (2005 – 2008) and has undertaken secondments with Westpac, Macquarie and UBS.