Introducing our newest corporate partner - Malika Chandrasegaran

We welcomed Malika Chandrasegaran as our newest M&A partner in the Sydney office at the start of May. We asked her to answer a couple of questions about herself. 

Tell us about yourself and your practice

Having grown up in sunny Singapore, I moved to Australia to study law at the University of New South Wales. I joined the firm over 10 years ago and time has certainly flown by!

I have developed a broad corporate and commercial law practice with particular emphasis on public mergers and acquisitions (including schemes of arrangement and takeovers) and private company transactions (including share and asset sales).

I also specialise in foreign investment, corporate restructures, joint ventures and other commercial transactions.

I enjoy working with clients on both cross border and domestic transactions and have experience across a wide range of industries, including consumer products, media and technology.

I also have a particular interest in assisting offshore clients to navigate Australia’s complex foreign investment rules and manage the FIRB approval process. To this end, I co-authored a detailed work on our foreign investment regime in “Towns Under Siege” (a book on Australian takeovers published in 2016).

Can you provide some examples of your experience?

My experience includes advising:

• AccorHotels on its proposed A$1.2 billion acquisition of Mantra Group by way of scheme of arrangement
• oOh!media on the proposed A$1.6 billion merger with APN Outdoor by way of scheme of arrangement
• Fairfax Media on the separation and spin-off of Domain, which listed as a standalone entity with an initial market capitalisation of A$2.2 billion
• iProperty on its A$750 million acquisition by realestate.com.au by way of scheme of arrangement
• BHP Billiton on its demerger of its aluminium, manganese and selected nickel and coal assets through the creation and listing of South32
• Metcash on the proposed IPO of its automotive division and its subsequent A$275 million trade sale to Burson
• Boral on its exit from its east coast bricks joint venture

Tell us about a transaction you are most proud of?

That’s like asking a parent to pick their favourite child! I’ve have enjoyed working on all my transactions but will highlight two here.

I have spent the last couple of months acting for the French AccorHotels group on its $1.2 billion acquisition of Mantra group by way of scheme of arrangement. It was a fantastic transaction in the travel and hospitality industry and I loved working with the dynamic AccorHotels team on that strategic acquisition.

Another deal that comes to mind is acting for iProperty on its acquisition by REA Group. It was great working with the iProperty team on that highly complex and innovative transaction. It was the first “stub equity” scheme of arrangement in Australia where shareholders could elect to receive a combination of cash and unlisted scrip in an Australian company and involved intricate inter-shareholder arrangements implemented at the unlisted stub equity level.

Tell us one fun fact about yourself?

I obtained a Private Pilot Licence (to fly a small 4 seater Piper Warrior) before I learnt to drive. However, it has been quite a number of years since I stepped into the cockpit so I’m much more suited to being a passenger these days!