About Gavin
Gavin Hammerschlag is a partner in the firm’s corporate and M&A and capital markets groups. Gavin practises in corporate law, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, listed public companies and equity capital markets.
Gavin regularly advises listed public companies, high net worth investors and private entrepreneurs across a range of public and private and equity capital market transactions. Gavin’s transactional experience has been diverse, from advising on large public company matters to small strategic acquisitions. Gavin acts for clients that are active in various industries including retail, property and technology.
Gavin graduated with Honours in a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from The University of New South Wales and joined Arnold Bloch Leibler in 2012. Gavin was appointed a partner in 2020.
Gavin is recommended by Best Lawyers® International for corporate law and equity capital markets law. He is also a member of the ABL deal team that won ‘Australian Deal of the Year’ at the Australasian Law Awards for its work on the sale of Arrium Australia to GFG Alliance.
Recommended for Corporate Law and Equity Capital Markets Law
Practice focus
Gavin’s practice focuses on the following areas:
- takeovers, mergers and acquisitions
- public listings and equity capital markets, including Corporations Act and ASX listing rule advice
- private and public companies, including asset and share acquisitions and disposals, and
- general commercial and corporate advice.
Experience
Gavin’s experience includes the following matters:
Corporate and M&A
- Retailors Ltd: in relation to its acquisition of Retail Prodigy Group Pty Ltd, the partner and operator of Nike and Samsung stores across Australia and New Zealand, and the online retail operator for Mattel in Australia
- ELMO Software: in relation to its proposed acquisition by K1 Investment Management by way of scheme of arrangement
- Zip Co Limited: in relation to:
- its US$50 million investment in Indian-based ZestMoney
- its $400 million acquisition of New York-based QuadPay, Inc
- its $50 million acquisition of New Zealand-based PartPay Limited
- its combined $180 million acquisitions of Europe-based Twisto Payments and UAE-based Spotii Holdings
- its acquisition of South African-based Payflex
- its strategic partnership agreements with Amazon and Westpac Banking Corporation, and
- its acquisition of strategic businesses, including personal finance app, Pocketbook and fashion search engine ‘The Urge’
- Specialty Fashion Group: in relation to:
- its strategic sale of its Millers, Katies, Crossroads, Autograph and Rivers portfolio of businesses to Noni B Limited
- its response to a takeover proposal from Al Alfia Holding, a company controlled by the Qatar royal family, and
- its acquisition of the Rivers business
- the shareholders of Market Eye: in relation to its sale to one of Australia’s largest share registry businesses, Automic Group
- One Ventures: in relation to various secured loan facilities advanced by its new credit fund to corporates, including expansion stage technology companies
- Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation: in relation to its acquisition of the Krispy Kreme Australia and New Zealand franchise business from its founding shareholders
- Arrium Australia: in relation to the sale of Arrium Australia to global industrial group GFG Alliance
- Accent Group Limited (formerly RCG Corporation), the retailer of The Athlete’s Foot, Platypus Shoes and other brands, in relation to:
- its $200 million acquisition of Accent Group, the owner of retail chain Platypus Shoes and distributor of Vans, Sketchers, Dr Martens and Timberland
- its acquisition of the Saucony distribution rights in Australia
- its $105 million acquisition of Hype DC, the owner of the Hype DC and Shubar retail stores, and
- its acquisition of leading Australian youth retailer Glue Store
- CrownBet’s founders: in relation to a series of milestone transactions, including:
- the $150 million exit of Crown Resorts from the CrownBet joint venture, and
- the sale of an 18 per cent stake of CrownBet to Canadian listed company The Stars Group, Inc
- Oxanda Education: in relation to its milestone sale of numerous childcare centres to Affinity Education
- Just Group / Smiggle: in relation to the establishment of the Smiggle brand’s online and wholesale global distribution business
- Seafolly: acting for the founding Halas family on the sale of their remaining interest in Australia's largest swimwear brand Seafolly to L Catterton Asia, a partnership between global luxury goods company LVMH, its major shareholder Groupe Arnault and US private equity firm Catterton
- Centennial Property Group: in relation to its investment in childcare centre business Edge Early Learning
- SEEK Ltd: in relation to its acquisition of a minority interest in online marketplace Sidekicker
- carsales.com Limited: in relation to:
- its $60.1 million acquisition of a 50.1 per cent interest in Stratton Finance, and
- its acquisition of Auto Inspect (now Redbook Inspect)
- Ivany Investment Group and Sturt Capital: in relation to their investments in Sydney Zoo and Allied Credit
- Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals: acted in defending the proposal by NASDAQ listed company Retrophin, Inc. to acquire Clinuvel by way of scheme of arrangement
- Alceon Group: in relation to its acquisition of leading school photography business, MSP Photography
- Supre: acting for the van der Meulen family and other private investors on the sale of the Supre retail fashion business to the Cotton On Group, and
- Numerous real estate development joint ventures for clients including Icon Co, Ramsay Property Group and Alceon Group.
Capital markets
- Zip Co Limited: in relation to:
- its $200 million convertible note ‘PIPE’ capital raising from US based growth investor, Heights Capital Management, an affiliate of the Susquehanna International Group
- various capital raisings via private placements, raising over $400 million, and
- its $40 million strategic equity investment from Westpac Banking Corporation
- Mosh, one of Australia’s leading online men’s health clinics: in relation to various significant capital raisings of up to $25 million pre-IPO convertible note raising from leading pre-IPO and institutional investors
- Thorney Technologies: in relation to its $25.3 million capital raising
- Happy Valley Nutrition Limited: in relation to its NZ$20m capital raising
- Edvantage Group Holdings, the largest private tertiary education institution in the Greater Bay area in China: in relation to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- Accent Group Limited, the retailer of The Athlete’s Foot, Platypus Shoes and other brands, in relation to:
- its $125 million placement and $10 million share purchase plan to fund the acquisition of Accent Group
- its $50 million fully underwritten placement and $40m director sell down, and
- its $52.5 million placement and $13.1 million vendor note to fund the acquisition of Hype DC
- Care for Kids, Australia’s leading child care search platform: in relation to its milestone capital raising from White & Partners
- Kogan.com, Australia’s leading pure-play online retailer: in relation to its $180 million IPO and listing on the ASX
- Smartpay Holdings Limited: in relation to its dual listing on the ASX
- Gleneagle Securities: in relation to numerous ASX equity capital market transactions, including investments in ASX listed iCollege Holdings, Guildford Coal, Queensland Bauxite and Indus Coal, and
- Catapult Group: in relation to its $66 million IPO and listing on the ASX.
Awards & recognition
Gavin is recognised as a leading lawyer by various international guides to lawyers and law firms, and industry awards including:
- Best Lawyers® International: corporate law and equity capital markets law
- Lawyers Weekly: Member of the team who won ‘Australian Deal of the Year’ at the Australasian Law Awards for its work on the sale of Arrium Australia to GFG Alliance, and winner in the 2015 ‘Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30’ Award in the M&A category.
