Several top firms have pitched in to advise on the acquisition of a US business by an Australian tech company.
Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) advised Appen Limited in relation to debt financing for its acquisition of Leapforce and RaterLabs.
Baker McKenzie advised Bell Potter Securities as underwriter of a $30m placement and share purchase plan by Appen to raise funds for the $105.3m acquisition.
MinterEllison acted for the banks in Australia and as the Australian security trustee counsel.
The firms worked with US bank counsel Osler and US security trustee counsel Mayer Brown JSM.
“The financing arrangements were complex, comprising syndicated debt facilities, a fully underwritten placement, a share purchase plan and a share issue to the Leapforce vendors,” said Sydney finance partner Hai-Dang Nguyen, who led SPB’s global team on the transaction.
The team included associate Hugh Pilkington and others in Sydney. In the US, SPB fielded partner Denis Oyakawa and of counsel Patrick Fields in Los Angeles, partner Guy Guinn in Ohio, and partner Larry Schiffer and of counsel Jill Davidson in New York.
Baker McKenzie’s team was led by partner Frank Castiglia, who said that Bell Potter Securities was the underwriter of the Appen IPO on the ASX in 2014. He was supported by lawyer Ivo Basoski.
“The underwriting arrangements for this capital raising needed to be carefully structured to align with the requirements of the acquisition in the US and the ancillary debt financing arrangements,” Castiglia said.
MinterEllison’s team for the Australian banks was led by partner Stewart Robertson, who was assisted by associate Bryce McCarthy. Its security trustee team was led by partner John Elias.
US bank counsel Osler fielded partner Andrew Herr and associate Nathan Whitaker. Mayer Brown JSM’s team was led by partner Jason Elder, who was supported by associate Nishrin Hussain.
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