James F. Stewart

Partner

Emailjames.f.stewart@dlapiper.com

About

Areas of FocusEnergy and Natural Resources Financial Services Industrials Infrastructure, Construction and Transport Life Sciences Technology Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions

EXPERIENCE

Advising Strike Energy on its AUD490 million unsolicited scrip offer takeover bid for Warrego Energy, which competed with cash offers from Hancock Energy and Beach Energy and a strategic stake acquired by Mineral Resources.
Advising Canaccord and Sprott on their joint lead management and underwriting of Resolute Mining's JUMBO Accelerated Non Renounceable Entitlement Offer to raise up to AUD159 million.
Advising Nearmap on its AUD1 billion acquisition by scheme of arrangement by private equity group Thoma Bravo.
Advising POSCO International on its AUD900 million acquisition of Senex Energy by way of scheme of arrangement pursuant to a joint bid with Hancock Energy.
Advising Saracen Mineral Holdings on its AUD16 billion merger with Northern Star Resources Limited to create a top-10 global gold company.
Advising LINK Market Services, the largest shareholder in PEXA, in respect of the AUD3 billion IPO and ASX listing of PEXA.
Advising Iberdrola on its takeover bid of Australia’s largest wind farm operator, Infigen Energy for an enterprise value of AUD1.33 billion. Ibderola’s bid was successful in defeating UAC’s competing bid.
Busy Bees', a global child care centre operator owned by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Temasek, AUD195 million acquisition of Think Childcare Limited by way of scheme of arrangement. The transaction involving the divestment of the Think Childcare Group centre development business to the founder, successfully defeated a competing proposal from Alceon.
Advising Banpu on its AUD2.5 billion takeover of Centennial Coal, Australia's largest independent coal producer with nine operating coal mines in New South Wales and various exploration and pre-development projects. Centennial Coal supplied 47 per cent of the coal used to supply power to NSW.
Advising Pulse Health on its competitive, hostile AUD240 million takeover bid for Vision Eye Institute and the AUD120 million acquisition of Pulse Health by Healthe Care by way of scheme of arrangement.
Advising Sinosteel on its AUD1.5 billion successful hostile competitive cash offer takeover of ASX listed Midwest Corporation, with iron ore projects in the mid-west of Western Australia. Sinosteel's offer defeated competing proposals from Murchison Metals after a successful, novel and complex application to the Takeovers Panel.
Advising Rural Press in relation to its AUD9.5 billion merger with Fairfax Media by concurrent schemes of arrangement to create Australia's largest digital and print media business.

Languages

Education

University of Sydney, Master of Laws, 2003

University of Tasmania, Bachelor of Laws, 1999

University of Tasmania, Bachelor of Science, 1999

Awards

Seminars

Moderator, Content and Intellectual Property Licensing, Video Game Bar Association Summit Northwest in Seattle, Washington, October 2022
Moderator, Brand Activations in the Metaverse: A Practical Case Study with Chipotle, 2022 ANA Law Virtual One Day Conference, July 2022

Professional Qualifications