Australia: M&A/Private Equity

The 2026–27 Budget's capital gains tax (CGT) reforms are the most significant recalibration of the investor tax base in 25 years. For gains accruing from 1 July 2027, the 50 per cent CGT discount available...

In Mobile Asset Holdings Ltd [2026] ATP 7, the Takeovers Panel considered a situation where the Board, directors of which represented 50%+ of the shareholdings in the company, put a resolution to shareholders for a constitutional amendment which would enable them to compel all shareholders to sell their shares (aka drag-along rights) without the usual guardrails. This blank cheque approval request was most likely going to be approved, given the voting majority who benefited from it were themselves voting, but for the successful application to the Takeovers Panel of an individual applicant.

Two-tiered offers remain a legitimate and important tool for bidders, but must be structured to operate effectively in all circumstances, including where the relevant acceptance threshold is to be tested at the end of the offer period.

In this episode of Deal Talk, partners Kam Jamshidi and Andrew Bradley explore the opportunities for M&A in the Australian financial services sector.

Delivering a data centre in Australia requires early and informed navigation of a complex legal and regulatory landscape. Site selection must account for power, water and planning constraints.

This edition of the K&L Gates Competition & Consumer Law Round-Up examines recent enforcement actions by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, including significant penalties against major retailers for misleading pricing practices. The newsletter also covers merger reviews, collective bargaining authorisations, and emerging regulatory developments affecting competition and consumer protection in Australia.

The recent novel case of WIJOAV Services Pty Ltd v Goldstone Private Equity Pty Ltd [2025] FCA 622 (WIJOAV v Goldstone) has confirmed that the statutory shareholder oppression...

We have run our annual analysis of announced non-binding indicative offers and pre-bid stakes in public M&A to capture NBIOs announced in calendar year 2025.

The 2026 edition of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Guide to Takeovers and Schemes of Arrangement has been launched.