International duo hits the road as Aussie retailer buys Kiwi outdoor brand

With the $144m deal, both firms continue long-standing relationships with their clients

International duo hits the road as Aussie retailer buys Kiwi outdoor brand

A duo of international law firms helped seal the deal for a major acquisition in the retail industry.

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) has advised Super Retail Group (SRG) on its acquisition of, Macpac. K&L Gates acted for private equity firm CHAMP Ventures, which sold its majority stake in Macpac.

SRG has agreed to buy Macpac, the vertically integrated outdoor equipment and clothing retailer, for $144m. Macpac, which is headquartered in Christchurch, has 54 retail stores across Australia and New Zealand. Super Retail Group plans to integrate its Rays business with Macpac, under the Macpac brand.

The KWM team was led by Brisbane-based M&A partner Rhys Casey, who was supported by senior associates Isaac Evans, Mandy Tsang, and Greg Protektor. Solicitors Heather Boulton and Samir Bhagat also assisted.

Casey said that SRG is a long-standing client of the firm. Last year, KWM advised SRG in its alliance with Bosch. The acquisition will support SRG’s strategy to build a leading outdoor adventure retail business in Australia and New Zealand, he said.

K&L Gates, which advised CHAMP Ventures on all legal aspects relating to the sale, fielded a team led by Sydney corporate and transactional partner Nick Humphrey. The team included senior associate Cristin McCoy and lawyer Tara Gazzard.

Humphrey said that K&L Gates advised CHAMP Ventures on its acquisition of a 90% stake in Macpac in 2015 for $70m.