Steven has extensive experience advising on inbound investment from jurisdictions including Singapore, China, the US, Spain, Germany, and the UK, and leads MinterEllison's Australian foreign investment approval team for the real estate sector.

Steven enjoys working closely with his clients, helping them transform complex legal issues into successful commercial solutions.

With the benefit of a commerce degree (majoring in finance), Steven understands the commercial and strategic context of transactions from his client's perspective.

Steven is rated in the IFLR1000 as a Rising Star Partner.

Career highlights

Mergers and acquisitions

• Advising CapitaLand on the Australian aspects of its acquisition of Ascendas Pte Ltd and Singbridge Pte Ltd in a cash and scrip deal worth approximately S$11 billion, creating one of Asia's largest diversified real estate players with over S$123 billion of assets under management.
• Acting for Arrotex on its A$700m+ acquisition of Strides' Australian business and Apotex's Australian business, creating one of the largest players in the Australian generic pharmaceutical industry.
• Advising IKEA Australia on its acquisition of the Western Australia and South Australia franchises, bringing all of IKEA's operations in Australia under a single ownership structure.
• Advising ZestMoney on the Series C Preference Share investment by Zip Co Limited.

Equity capital markets

• Advising Education Australia on its separate A$1.1 billion block trade and A$220 million block trade of IDP Education's shares.
• Acting for Qualitas, an Australian real estate investment manager with committed funds under management of A$4.2 billion, on its A$735 million IPO.
• Advising DGL Group Limited on its IPO and dual listing on the ASX and NZX. DGL successfully raised A$100 million and listed with a market capitalisation of over A$250 million on listing.
• Advising Mesoblast Limited, a leader in cellular medicines for inflammatory diseases, on its successful capital raising of A$138m through a placement to existing and new institutional investors.
• Advising Vitalharvest Freehold Trust on its listing on the ASX and the initial public offering of its units to raise A$185 million. Vitalharvest's properties are split over approximately 3,700 hectares and 130 property titles located across New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia.
• Acting for Johns Lyng Group Limited, Mayfield Childcare Limited, Micro-X Limited, and Salter Brothers Emerging Companies Limited, on their successful listings on the ASX.

• MinterEllison advises Salter Brothers on successful IPO
  

  Salter Brothers Emerging Companies Limited is the first listed investment company to be listed on the ASX since November 2019.

   

   

• MinterEllison advises cybersecurity business Tesserent on proposed acquisition by Thales
  

  MinterEllison advises Tesserent on its $176M acquisition by Thales, marking a scheme of arrangement for 100% shares at a 165% premium, with completion expected in October 2023 pending regulatory approval.

• Sailing through headwinds: Australian equity capital markets look to a changing climate in 2023
  

  Uncertain global macroeconomic conditions coupled with US banking instability continue to affect equity capital markets in 2023. As initial public offerings volumes gradually return, we examine the outlook for Australian companies seeking greater liquidity amid a variety of challenges (and opportunities) including the ongoing renewable energy transition.