A GUIDE TO

TAKEOVERS IN
AUSTRALIA
MARCH 2012

KING & WOOD MALLESONS

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A GUIDE TO
TAKEOVERS IN AUSTRALIA
FOREWORD

OUR EXPERTISE

This guide provides an overview of the legal issues

and practical processes involved in making or
responding to a public takeover in Australia. It is an
introduction to the complex issues involved in
Australian takeovers.

Leading corporations come to King & Wood Mallesons for assistance with their most important and
challenging transactions and issues. Our clients rely on our technical expertise, sector insights and
commitment to working together to deliver on their strategic objectives.

King & Wood Mallesons is recognised as one of

the leaders in the field of mergers and acquisitions,
having advised on some of Australias most
significant and innovative transactions. Details of a
selection of recent major transactions on which we
have acted are set out at page 36 of this guide.
We would be pleased to assist and provide further
information on any of the topics in this guide.
If you have any questions or require further
information, please do not hesitate to contact any
of the partners listed on page 37 of this guide.

King & Wood Mallesons is a new regional legal powerhouse. On 1 March 2012, Chinas leading law firm
King & Wood and Australias market leader Mallesons Stephen Jaques combined to become the largest
legal brand in the Asia Pacific region. Our alliance combining an Australian firm and a Chinese firm is
unique in the global legal market. The combined firm has over 380 partners and 1800 lawyers with 21
offices in key business markets around the globe including London, New York and Tokyo. It takes
advantage of Asia as the new driver of global economic growth. Further, it provides our clients with
access to local law experts, relationships and connections, and seamless service across borders. In all, a
one-stop for PRC, Hong Kong, English and Australian law.
Our Australian offices are in the major transaction centres of Sydney and Melbourne, supported by our
government practice in Canberra and resources and energy driven practices in Brisbane and Perth. Our
lawyers have been involved in some of Asia Pacifics largest and most complex M&A transactions.
Operating across a range of industries and sectors, our team specialise in all aspects of public company
takeovers, both friendly and hostile.
We provide strategic advice to directors, prepare takeover documentation and advise on all legal issues
associated with takeovers and other control transactions. Our close relationships with leading investment
banks and regulators including the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, Australian Stock
Exchange, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Takeovers Panel and the Foreign
Investment Review Board ensure we are able to effectively handle the myriad of regulatory, competition,
foreign investment and securities issues associated with such transactions.
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OUR REPUTATION
KING & WOOD MALLESONS
International Law Firm of the Year Legal Business Awards 2012
Best Large Law Firm BRW Client Choice Awards 2010, 2009
Regional Law Firm of the Year IFLR Asia Awards 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
National Law Firm of the Year (Australia) IFLR Asia Awards 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
Best Large Professional Services Firm BRW Client Choice Awards 2009
M&A Deal of the Year ALB Australasian Law Awards 2010, China Law & Practice Awards 2009, IFLR Asia Awards 2009
Regional Law Firm of the Year IFLR Asian Awards 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Australian Deal Team of the Year - M&A ALB Australasian Law Awards 2011, 2009, 2008
Law Firm of the Year (Australia) PLC Which lawyer? Global Awards 2010, 2009
Corporate Legal Services Firm of the Year CFO Awards 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007
Corporate/M&A first-tier rankings
Chambers Global Guide 2012
IFLR 1000 2012
Asia Pacific Legal 500 2012
PLC Which lawyer? 2012
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CONTENTS
THE KING & WOOD MALLESONS DIFFERENCE

Sources say: Our experiences with the firm have been excellent
the lawyers are knowledgeable and excellent in negotiations.
We would without a doubt use them for similar work in the future.

1 Introduction

05

2 Regulatory background

06

3 Methods of acquiring control

10

4 Planning an acquisition

16

5 Implementing an off-market
takeover bid

24

6 Responding to a takeover approach

30

Glossary

35

Our experience

36

Our contacts

37

Chambers Global Guide, 2012

"They are long established and their big advantages are their
bench strength and good people at all levels.
Chambers Global Guide, 2012

excellent service in terms of timeliness, quality of advice,

commercial outcomes and industry knowledge.
Asia Pacific Legal 500, 2012

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1. INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW OF WHAT THIS GUIDE
PROVIDES
This guide provides a general introduction to key
legal issues and considerations involved in making,
or responding to, a bid to acquire control of a
publicly-listed entity in Australia.
The guide covers the:
general laws and regulatory bodies governing
acquisitions of interests in public companies;
most common methods of acquiring control:
off-market takeover bids,
on-market takeover bids; and
schemes of arrangement;
and their relative merits;
key factors and strategic considerations relevant
to planning an acquisition;
steps, documentation and timing involved in
implementing an off-market bid; and
key issues for companies anticipating (or
responding to) a takeover.

WHO THIS GUIDE WILL ASSIST

FURTHER ASSISTANCE

The guide should be of general assistance to:

The guide provides general commentary on the

legal and practical issues involved in conducting a
takeover in Australia as at June 2011.

investment bankers, financial advisers and other

professional advisers to participants involved in
takeovers or other control transactions;
directors, executives and in-house counsel of
public-listed companies and other Australian and
international businesses considering public
acquisitions in Australia; and
foreign advisers and investors.

Public takeovers in Australia are complex and

highly regulated. This guide does not provide an
exhaustive analysis of the issues involved.
Anyone involved in any takeover activity should
obtain detailed professional advice before taking
action and should not rely on this guide in
substitution for that advice.
If you require specific advice in the context of a
transaction, or a possible or proposed transaction,
please contact any of the King & Wood Mallesons
partners listed on page 37 of this guide.
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2. REGULATORY BACKGROUND
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
Takeovers of entities listed on the Australian Stock
Exchange (ASX) are regulated under Chapter 6 of the
Corporations Act 2001 (Cwlth) (Corporations Act) and,
to a lesser extent, the rules and regulations of ASX.
The regime under the Corporations Act relates not only
to takeover bids for voting shares in publicly listed
entities, but also for non-voting shares and other
securities, such as convertible debt securities and
options over issued or unissued securities or other
securities. It also regulates the shares and securities in
Australian incorporated companies which are not
publicly listed but which have more than 50 holders.
This guide is principally concerned with the most
common form of takeover, the acquisition of voting
securities in ASX-listed entities. References are
commonly made to securities and securityholders of a
company in relation to shares, and shareholders, but
those concepts can generally be adapted to relate to
listed trusts and their units and unitholders as
appropriate.

AIMS OF TAKEOVERS LEGISLATION

BASIC TAKEOVER PROHIBITION

The regulation of takeovers is underpinned by a set of

principles which aim to protect securityholders and
ensure that the transition of control in a public company
occurs in a manner which is transparent, fair and treats
all securityholders equally. The principles are enshrined
in section 602 of Chapter 6 of the Corporations Act and
provide that:

The fundamental feature of Chapter 6 is a general

takeovers prohibition, contained in section 606 of the
Corporations Act, which prohibits a person from
acquiring (whether by way of a purchase of existing
securities or an issue of new securities) a relevant
interest in securities in an Australian company if
because of the acquisition:

the acquisition of control should take place in an

efficient, competitive and informed market;

any persons voting power in the company would

increase from below 20% to more than 20%; or

securityholders and directors of a target should:

any persons voting power in the company that is

above 20% and below 90% would increase,

know the identity of any bidder who proposes to

acquire a substantial interest in the target;
have a reasonable time to consider a proposal; and
are given enough information to assess its merits;
and
target securityholders should have a reasonable and
equal opportunity to participate in any benefits flowing
from a proposal.
These principles form the basis for the fundamental
takeovers prohibition (discussed below) and underpin
the further provisions of Chapter 6 which regulate in
detail the various aspects of takeovers in Australia. They
also form the basis of challenges to, and decisions made
by, the Takeovers Panel in relation to takeovers (see
page 8).

unless the acquisition is expressly permitted by one of

the gateways set out at section 611 of the Corporations
Act.
Although the prohibition is directed against the
acquisition of voting securities, it has the corresponding
effect of limiting the options available to a securityholder
wanting to sell a large holding, particularly one of more
than 20%, in an Australian public company.
The most significant acquisition gateways are described
in more detail later in this guide, but a summary of the
types of acquisitions commonly permitted by section 611
is set out on the following page.
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KEY CONCEPTS RELATING TO THE TAKEOVERS PROHIBITION

Permitted gateways through the 20%

prohibition
Off-market
takeover bid

Acquisitions under a takeover offer made to all

target securityholders where securityholders
sell securities to a bidder by way of off-market
acceptances

On-market
takeover bid

Acquisitions under a takeover offer made to all

target securityholders where securityholders
sell securities to a bidder through the ASX

Scheme of
arrangement

Acquisitions under a scheme of arrangement

approved by the target securityholders and
the Court

The concepts of relevant interest and voting power are critical to an understanding of the
takeovers provisions. A person (including an entity) has a relevant interest in a security if the
person:
is the holder of the security;
has power to exercise or control the exercise of the voting power attached to the security; or
has power to dispose of or control the disposal of the security.
A persons voting power in a company is the proportion of the votes attaching to all voting
securities in which a person and their associates have a relevant interest in relation to the total
number of votes attached to all voting securities in the company. An associate of a person is
defined in very broad and detailed terms, but in summary two persons will be associated if:
one controls the other or they are under the common control of another person;

Securityholder
approval

Acquisitions made with the approval of

independent target securityholders not
affiliated with the acquisition

there is an agreement, understanding or arrangement (whether legally enforceable or not)

between them for the purpose of controlling or influencing the relevant companys board or
affairs; or

Creeping
acquisition

Acquisitions of not more than 3% of the voting

power in a company in a 6 month period by a
securityholder already holding at least 19%

they are acting or proposing to act in concert in relation to the relevant companys affairs.

Acquisitions resulting from pro-rata rights

issues offered equally to all securityholders

EXTRA-TERRITORIAL OPERATION

Underwriting

Acquisitions by an underwriter of an issue of

securities made pursuant to a prospectus or
other disclosure document

Australian takeover law purports to have extra-territorial force. The takeovers prohibition may
therefore apply to a transaction outside Australia with respect to a non-Australian company if the
transaction affects the control of voting power in an Australian company (for example if an
acquirer assumes control of a non-Australian company which itself holds more than 20% of the
voting power in an ASX listed company).

Downstream

Indirect acquisitions resulting from an

acquisition of securities in an upstream
company listed on the ASX (or other approved
foreign market) which itself has a relevant
interest in a downstream ASX listed company

Rights issue

As a result of the these broad concepts, the regulatory ambit of the takeovers prohibition casts a
wide net.

As noted in the table opposite, these indirect downstream acquisitions which result from an
acquisition of securities in a non-Australian upstream company will fall within a permitted
gateway to the 20% prohibition where the upstream company is listed on an approved foreign
market (which includes, amongst others, the London Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange,
NASDAQ, Toronto Stock Exchange, Deutsche Borse, Paris Bourse, Tokyo Stock Exchange and
Hong Kong Stock Exchange).
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OTHER RELEVANT CORPORATIONS ACT PROVISIONS

KEY REGULATORY BODIES

In addition to Chapter 6, the following parts of the Corporations Act often have
relevance in connection with a takeover:

ASIC
The Australian Securities & Investments
Commission (ASIC) supervises the operation of
companies and securities laws including takeovers
law.

Corporations Act

ASIC is responsible for monitoring compliance with

the Corporations Act and has wide powers to
investigate, amongst other things, the conduct and
security trading activities of parties involved in a
takeover.
Part 2D.1

Part 5.1

Chapter 6A

Chapter 6C

Chapter 6D

Part 7.10

Director
duties

Reconstructions

Compulsory
acquisition

Disclosure
of holdings

Fundraising

Market
misconduct

Directors of
Australian
companies
must have
regard to
various
statutory and
common law
duties when
acting. Various
civil and
criminal
sanctions are
imposed for
breaches

Certain
procedures
must be
followed in
effecting a
takeover via a
scheme of
arrangement
(one of the
permitted
gateways in
section 611)

A person who
holds at least
90% of a class
of securities
may be entitled
to compulsorily
acquire all
remaining
securities in
that class and
move to 100%
ownership

Securityholders
must disclose
details of
relevant
holdings,
including
relevant
interests of 5%
or more in a
companys
voting
securities and
any
subsequent
changes of 1%
or more

Listed entities
may offer
securities to
investors under
fundraising
provisions which
impose
disclosure
requirements
and liability
regimes. The
provisions are
relevant both for
scrip bids and
takeover related
capital raisings

Various forms
of conduct
relating to
securities are
prohibited
(such as insider
trading and
engaging in
misleading or
deceptive
conduct) and
impose civil
and criminal
sanctions for
breaches

ASIC also has powers to modify the operation of,

and grant parties exemption from compliance with,
various provisions of Chapter 6 and the wider
provisions of the Corporations Act. ASIC publishes
detailed guidance on its interpretation of legislative
provisions and when it may consider granting such
modifications and exemptions.
ASIC also reviews many of the documents issued
by parties involved in a takeover.
The Takeovers Panel (the Panel)
The Panel is a non-judicial body comprised of a
small full-time executive and a part-time panel of
representatives from industry and the legal, finance
and accounting professions.
The Panel is the principal forum for resolving
disputes relating to a takeover during a takeover
bid.

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The Panel has broad statutory powers to:

make declarations of unacceptable
circumstances regarding the affairs of a
company in relation to a takeover or acquisition
of a substantial interest in the company and
make a wide range of interim and final orders
(enforceable by the courts) to remedy those
circumstances and protect the rights and
interests of those affected by the circumstances;
and
review decisions of ASIC which relate to
modifying the operation of or granting
exemptions from the provisions of Chapter 6
relating to takeovers.
During a takeover bid, the Panel displaces the
Courts as the primary forum for resolving disputes
in relation to the bid. Each of the bidder, the target,
ASIC and any other person whose interests are
affected by a takeover bid may apply to the Panel
for a declaration or appropriate orders. Court
proceedings during a bid in relation to a takeover
may only be commenced by ASIC or a public
authority of the Commonwealth or a State.
The Panel may only make a declaration of
unacceptable circumstances and consequential
orders if it is satisfied that circumstances are
unacceptable:
having regard to the effects the circumstances
have had (or are having, will have or are likely to
have) on the control or potential control of a
company or the acquisition or proposed
acquisition of a substantial interest in a company;

having regard to the principles (see page 6)

enshrined in section 602 of the Corporations Act;
or
because they have constituted or given rise to (or
currently, will or are likely to constitute or give
rise to) a contravention of a specified Chapter of
the Corporations Act,
and the Panel considers that action is not against
the public interest taking into account relevant
policy considerations.
Decisions of the Panel are subject to merits review
by a separately convened review Panel and can be
subject to judicial review by the Courts where a
Panel has acted in breach of administrative law
processes or principles.
In addition to its dispute resolution powers, the
Panel also has authority to make rules governing
takeover bids provided that they are not
inconsistent with the provisions of Chapter 6. While
the Panel has not made substantive rules, it has
published guidance notes on a variety of topics.
Prior decisions and guidance notes released by the
Panel provide important sources of advice for
parties on key issues which frequently arise during
takeover bids.
Other important regulators
Other bodies may also become involved in certain
circumstances, such as when a takeover involves a
foreign acquirer or raises anti-competitive issues.

In addition to ASIC and the Panel, ASX may

become involved in a takeover if it is concerned
that its rules are not being complied with by the
parties involved in the takeover. The principal
concern of ASX is to ensure there is an informed
market in securities of the target company.
If an acquirer is foreign for the purposes of the
Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act, in many
circumstances the acquisition must also be
approved by the Treasurer of Australia acting on
the advice of the Foreign Investment Review Board
(FIRB).
The Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC) administers the Competition
and Consumer Act (formerly the Trade Practices
Act) and may also become involved in a takeover if
the acquisition would have the effect, or be likely to
have the effect, of substantially lessening
competition in a substantial market in Australia.
Other regulators and specific industry bodies such
as the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the
Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority may
also become involved in takeovers involving
participants in particular sectors such as media,
banking and insurance.
Further details of Australian foreign investment, competition
and other regulatory regimes
can be found in our publication
A Guide to doing business in Australia
which is available on request or via www.kwm.com

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3. METHODS OF
ACQUIRING CONTROL
PERMITTED ACQUISITIONS UNDER THE CORPORATIONS ACT
The most common ways of acquiring an interest in more than 20% of the voting securities in a listed entity are:
a takeover bid, either off-market or on-market (described in detail on pages 11 and 12 respectively); and
a court approved scheme of arrangement (described in detail on page 13).
Other frequently used gateways through the 20% prohibition are:
Securityholder approval - Acquisitions which have the approval of an ordinary resolution of the target company (excluding any votes by any of the parties to the acquisition or their associates).
Target securityholders must be provided with all information known to the target and the acquirer that is material to the decision on how to vote. ASIC will also usually require an independent
experts report to be provided to securityholders. For issues or sales of securities at below market value, securityholders will typically require the new investors to bring additional benefits to the
target such as access to capital, technology or management.
Creeping acquisition - Acquisitions by a person who has continuously throughout the preceding six months held voting power of at least 19% in a company provided that, as a result of the
acquisition, they would not increase their stake to more than 3% higher than they had six months before the acquisition. This method is usually only used where the acquirer is prepared to build a
strategic stake in the target over a period of years or for small re-adjustments.
Downstream acquisitions Acquisitions which, as a result of an upstream acquisition of an interest in a listed entity that itself holds securities in the downstream company, increase an acquirers
indirect voting power in a listed entity beyond the 20% threshold are exempt if the securities in the upstream company are listed on the ASX or a foreign financial market approved by ASIC. ASIC
and the Panel may consider such acquisitions unacceptable where it appears that the exemption is being used for the purpose of acquiring control of or a substantial interest in the downstream
company.
Acceptances of scrip bids - Acquisitions which result from the acceptance of an offer under a takeover bid in which the securities form part of the consideration offered are also exempt from the
20% prohibition. This exemption allows so-called reverse takeovers in which a bidder offers so many of its own securities as consideration for securities in a target that the targets securityholders
end up acquiring control of the bidder itself. In light of the inherent conflict with the fundamental principles of Chapter 6, ASIC and the Panel will carefully consider any reverse takeovers which
threaten control of the bidder passing without its securityholders having the opportunity to participate in any decision, and orders may be made for such bids to require approval of the bidders
securityholders.
In addition, it is possible for parties to increase their holdings in excess of the 20% prohibition in connection with issues of securities as follows:
Rights issues - Acquisitions which arise through participation in rights issues of securities offered on an equal pro-rata basis to all existing securityholders (including acquisitions by underwriters
and sub-underwriters of rights issues). However, ASIC and the Panel will carefully review rights issues which affect control, and may consider acquisitions unacceptable where the structure, pricing
or underwriting arrangements have control effects which are disproportionate to the fundraising purposes of a rights issue. In such circumstances, the Panel may make orders to prevent or amend a
rights issue or require the approval of target securityholders.

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Underwriting - Acquisitions by an underwriter or sub-underwriter which result from an issue of securities under a regulated disclosure document (e.g. a prospectus) where that document disclosed
the effect that the acquisition would have on the underwriter or sub-underwriters voting power in the company, (i.e. the effect of them acquiring the maximum number of securities permitted under
the arrangements). ASIC and the Panels concerns regarding the use of contrived underwriting agreements to circumvent the takeovers prohibition apply equally to this exemption.

TAKEOVER BIDS
Takeover bids in Australia can be either off-market
bids (the most common form of takeover) for
quoted or unquoted securities or on-market bids,
which are only available for quoted securities and
are relatively rare. Takeover bids are often classed
as friendly or hostile depending upon whether the
bidder has secured the support of the targets
board in supporting and recommending acceptance
of the bid.
Features of an off-market takeover bid
Under an off-market bid, a bidder makes separate
but identical offers to all holders of securities in a
target company to acquire their securities. When a
holder accepts the offer, an agreement for the
acquisition of their securities results. Off-market
takeover bids are often made conditional upon the
satisfaction or waiver of a number of conditions,
such as that the bidder reaches a minimum level of
acceptances (usually 50% or 90%) or obtains
specified regulatory approvals such as FIRB or
ACCC.

Securities

The offer must relate to all of the securities or other securities in the target company of the
relevant class, or a specified proportion of each holders securities.

Consideration

Consideration may be cash, securities or a combination of both. If the consideration is

increased during the offer, the increased consideration is payable retrospectively to any
securityholders who have already accepted. Consideration must be paid within one month of
the later of an acceptance and the offer becoming unconditional.

Timing

An uncontested off-market bid usually takes a minimum of three months from announcement
to completion. If a bid is contested by the target or a rival bidder, the duration of the bid may be
significantly longer. Formal offers to securityholders under an off-market takeover bid must be
made within two months of announcement of a bid and must stay open for a minimum of one
month and a maximum of 12 months.

Conditions

The offer may include conditions or be unconditional, although certain conditions are prohibited
(e.g. conditions specifying a maximum acceptance level or which give the bidder a subjective
discretion as to whether or not a bid succeeds).

Documents

Bidders are required to prepare bidders statements containing prescribed information about
the bidder and the terms of the bid (and which normally contain the formal offer to
securityholders). Bidders statements are lodged with ASIC, ASX and the target and then sent
to target securityholders with acceptance forms to complete and return.

The common features of an off-market takeover bid

are:

A target is similarly required to lodge and despatch targets statements in response. Targets
statements are required to set out prescribed information to assist securityholders in
considering their response to a takeover bid, including the recommendations of the targets
directors as to whether or not to accept the bid. Independent experts reports as to whether an
offer is fair and reasonable must be included where a bidder has 30% or more of the target or
has directors on the target board, and are often voluntarily provided in other instances to give
support to the recommendation of the directors.

Mallesons deal: hostile bid for Symbion Health

A Mallesons team led by David Friedlander and Jason
Watts acted for Primary Healthcare on its successful
$A3.5bn off-market takeover of healthcare operator
Symbion Health. The transaction was proposed as a
rival counter-bid to a scheme of arrangement
proposed between Symbion and Healthscope. The
deal involved Court action and applications to the
Takeovers Panel in relation to Symbions affairs, and
was accompanied by a simultaneous capital raising by
Primary to fund the acquisition.

On-market
purchases

A bidder can only purchase securities on-market in excess of the 20% threshold when the offer
is unconditional and the bidders statement has been given to the target. If the bidder
purchases such securities above the prevailing offer price, the offer price is automatically
increased to match the higher price.
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Features of an on-market takeover bid

Securities

The offer must relate to all securities in the target company (of the relevant class) and not
just a specified proportion of each holders securities.

Consideration

Consideration for the securities must be cash. The bidder can increase its bid price
without having to pay more for securities already acquired on-market. Consideration is
paid on a normal T+3 basis, i.e. on the third trading day after the date of the transaction.

Timing

The duration of the bid will likely depend upon whether or not a bid is contested by the
target or a rival bidder. Offers to securityholders under an on-market takeover bid must be
made within 15 days of announcement and must also stay open for a minimum of one
month and a maximum period of 12 months. Given the shorter time periods for lodgement
and despatch of the bidders statement and opening of the formal offer period, and the fact
that the bid must be unconditional, on-market bids would usually be expected to have a
shorter duration than an off-market bid.

Conditions

As the offer must be unconditional, all regulatory approvals must be obtained prior to
announcement. As a consequence, the bidder is less protected than under an off-market
bid where minimum acceptance or material adverse change conditions are typically used.

Documents

Despite the formal offers being made to securityholders on-market (through the appointed
broker), bidders are required to prepare bidders statements setting out the same
prescribed information about the bidder and the terms of the bid. In on-market bids,
bidders are required to lodge their bidders statements with ASIC, ASX and the target on
the day of announcing the bid and have a further 14 days to despatch them to target
securityholders.

Under an on-market bid, quoted securities are

acquired through the ASX rather than through offmarket acceptances.
A bidder will stand in the market during the bid
period and offer to acquire all of the targets
securities at the specified offer price through an
appointed broker, and will have priority over other
trades on the market at that price.
On-market bids are rare in Australia, largely due to
the requirement that they be cash-only and
unconditional and the consequent perception that
they are less flexible and higher-risk than offmarket bids. However, the speed with which an onmarket bid can be implemented (with a bidder
acquiring securities on-market within hours of
announcing the bid and sellers able to receive
consideration within days of accepting an offer) can
make an on-market bid a highly effective takeover
tool when used in the right market environment.
The common features of an on-market takeover bid
are:

Mallesons deal: on-market takeover of QGC

A Mallesons team led by Tim Bednall and Lee Horan
advised international gas major BG Group on its
successful A$5.6 billion on-market takeover bid for
Queensland Gas Company (QGC), a major coal seam
gas producer. The innovative bid was the first
significant takeover in Australia to use an on-market
structure and enabled BG Group to secure control of
QGC within a week and reach the 90% compulsory
acquisition threshold in just 3 weeks, highlighting the
strategic merits of an on-market takeover when used in
the right context.

Targets must respond with a targets statement containing the prescribed information to
assist securityholders, but must have the document lodged with ASIC, ASX and the target
and despatched to securityholders within 14 days of the bids announcement.
On-market
purchases

A bidder may purchase securities on-market in excess of the 20% threshold as soon as
the bid is announced and before an offer formally opens (i.e. upon the despatch of bidder
statements to securityholders).

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SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT
Features of a scheme of arrangement
Under a scheme of arrangement, a company, with
the approval of its creditors or securityholders, can
effect a reconstruction of its capital, assets or
liabilities through a court approved procedure
under Part 5.1 of the Corporations Act.
Schemes may be used to effect a wide range of
corporate restructures, including transfers of all or
a specified proportion of each shareholders
securities to a bidder, cancellations of existing
securities or issues of new securities to a bidder,
and as such can be used as an alternative to a
takeover bid to effect a change of control or merger
of companies. Indeed, in past years schemes have
become as common as takeovers as a means of
effecting friendly acquisitions in Australia.
A scheme has an all or nothing outcome, and a
bidder will have the certainty of knowing that it will
either acquire 100% of the securities to which the
scheme relates, or nothing if it is not successful.
A successful scheme needs the approval of 75%
by value and 50% by number of each class of
securityholders present and voting at a scheme
meeting (excluding any votes cast by the bidder or
any of its associates) plus the Court to exercise its
general discretion to approve the scheme. There is
therefore a key risk in a scheme that a court may
refuse to sanction a scheme of arrangement (or
convene the appropriate scheme meeting) if it
considers it appropriate to do so in the context of

the scheme as a whole and any potential prejudice

to securityholders, creditors or other parties, even if
the requisite levels of securityholder approval have
been obtained at the scheme meeting.
The flexible structure of a scheme is a key
advantage over the relatively prescriptive regime
for takeover bids, and allows a bidder not only to
pay any combination of cash or scrip as
consideration for an acquisition (e.g. having a
maximum cash pool available), but also enables an
acquisition simultaneously to incorporate additional
complexities such as the transfer or demerger of
specified assets or liabilities or the reduction of a
targets capital.
As with off-market bids, schemes of arrangement
can be made conditional upon the occurrence or
non-occurrence of specified events or actions, and
it is common for schemes to be proposed subject
to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals or
there being no material adverse change in the
financial position of the target.
Mallesons deal: acquisition of AXA Asia Pacific
A Mallesons team led by Stephen Minns, Alison
Lansley and Joseph Muraca advised financial services
group AXA Asia Pacific on a series of takeover
approaches from AMP and National Australia Bank.
These culminated in a transaction with AMP which
valued AXA Asia Pacific at over A$14bn. The
transaction was implemented via a scheme of
arrangement and sale of AXA Asia Pacifics Australian
business to AMP and the sale of its Asian businesses
to its French parent, AXA SA.

Target support
Whilst it is theoretically possible for a potential
bidder with a minority securityholding (or the
support of some securityholders) to propose a
scheme of arrangement to effect an acquisition
without the support of the target company, it is
generally considered essential for a scheme to be
proposed and supported by the target company,
because of the positive obligations on the target to,
amongst other things, issue the scheme
documentation to target securityholders.
As a result, schemes of arrangement in Australia
have to date proceeded on a friendly rather than
hostile basis, with targets and bidders entering into
a formal merger implementation agreement (MIA)
setting out the terms upon which a scheme will be
proposed to securityholders and supported by a
targets directors.
However, it has become increasingly common for
bidders to attempt to drag initially reluctant targets
to the negotiating table through the use of bear
hug announcements which publicly propose
schemes of arrangements with a target in the hope
that the resultant securityholder pressure will force
an otherwise hostile target board to enter into
discussions with a view to putting a proposal to
securityholders.

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Structure of a scheme
A scheme of arrangement generally involves the steps set out below:
MIA signed

The execution of an MIA between a bidder and the target company setting out each partys rights and obligations in proposing and implementing a
recommended scheme.

Scheme announced

The public announcement of the key terms of the scheme, including the consideration to be paid by the bidder and the key features of the MIA.
Customarily the initial announcement would follow agreement of an MIA, although for tactical reasons individual parties may seek to announce a
potential deal earlier, in the case of a bidder to put pressure on a target board to put a proposal to securityholders and in the case of a target to flush
out any potential counter-offers and initiate an auction.

Scheme documents

The preparation of scheme documents (including an explanatory statement or scheme booklet and a notice of meeting to each securityholder). It
has become common practice to include an independent experts report stating whether the scheme is in the best interest of the securityholders.
ASIC must be given a reasonable opportunity (generally at least 14 days) to review the scheme documents to enable it to raise any concerns with
the target company before the First Court hearing. If ASIC is satisfied with the documents it will provide confirmation to the target which is then
produced to the First Court hearing to demonstrate that ASIC has had an opportunity to review, and is satisfied with, the disclosure in the scheme
documents.

First Court hearing

An application to the court to convene a meeting of securityholders (or meetings of separate classes of securityholders) to consider and vote on the
scheme.

Scheme meeting

A resolution of each relevant class of securityholders to approve the scheme, which must be passed by:
a majority in number of those securityholders present and voting (in person or by proxy); and
securityholders representing 75% of the votes cast on the resolution,
but excluding any votes of any securityholders who are associates of the bidder.

Second court hearing

An application to the court for approval of the scheme. The court has a discretion whether or not to approve a scheme, and in exercising that
discretion will generally consider whether, in general, the scheme is fair and reasonable. A court may not approve a scheme of arrangement unless:
it is satisfied that the scheme has not been proposed for the purpose of avoiding the takeover provisions of the Corporations Act (generally not a
difficult hurdle to overcome in practice); or
a statement in writing by ASIC stating that it has no objection to the scheme is produced to the court.

Scheme effective

The scheme of arrangement is binding on all members (including any dissenters) of the target company once it has the approval of the requisite
securityholders and a court order is lodged approving the scheme. The scheme documentation will usually contain a subsequent implementation
date at which time any security acquisition or reorganisation will occur and consideration will be paid to target securityholders.

Given the time involved in preparing the necessary documentation, holding each of the court hearings and convening a securityholder meeting it is common for a
scheme to take at least 4 months to proceed from agreement of an MIA to final approval and implementation.
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COMPARISON OF BIDS AND SCHEMES

Off-market takeover
Control

On-market takeover
Bidder controls the process at all stages

Scheme of arrangement
Target controls process subject to terms of an agreed
MIA

Target support

Not essential but a friendly bid which enjoys the support of the target is preferable

Generally considered essential

Court approval

No formal court or regulatory assent required. Takeovers Panel has oversight role

Court approval needed to order scheme meeting and

approve scheme. ASIC has formal review role and
Panel may become involved in an oversight role

Conditions

May be conditional

Must be unconditional

May be conditional

Consideration

May be cash and/or securities

Must be cash

May be cash and/or securities

Announcement

Can announce bid subject to conditions and

approvals

All regulatory approvals required before

announcement

Subject to agreement with target

Time to end date

Uncertain - likely to be at least 3 months but no

fixed date, bid may be extended for up to a year

Uncertain - likely to be at least 2 months

but no fixed date, bid may be extended for
up to a year

Certain - likely to be about 4 months

Threshold to reach
100%

90% threshold to trigger right to compulsory acquisition of securities in the bid class

For each class of securityholders, 50% of those

present and voting and 75% by value of securities

Differentiation
between holders

All securityholders must be treated equally - collateral benefits likely to induce acceptance not
allowed

Acceptable if disclosed, although may create

separate securityholder classes requiring separate
votes

Flexibility of
structure

Initial flexibility constrained by Corporations Act requirements but relatively straightforward to

increase offer price and modify offer terms during bid period

Initial structural flexibility (e.g. to incorporate related

transactions) but subsequent amendments generally
require court sanction and detailed notice to
members

Interloper
vulnerability

Flexibility for the bidder to vary offer terms in response to interloper

Less flexibility for the bidder to vary offer terms in

response to interloper

Disclosure
requirements

Similar. Target commonly commissions a fair and

reasonable report by an independent expert,
although technically not required.

Similar. Independent expert report unlikely

given timing

Similar. Scheme booklet commonly includes a best

interest report by independent expert, although not
technically required

Other deal risks

Minimum acceptance conditions may be imposed to

mitigate risks of failing to acquire control

As bid is unconditional, risk of ending

below 50% or marooned between 50%
and 90%

All or nothing outcome

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4. PLANNING AN ACQUISITION
KEY ROLES AND ADVISERS
In embarking upon an acquisition for control,
whether by a takeover bid or a scheme of
arrangement, a bidder will need to dedicate
significant internal resources to the planning and
execution stage, and will also often need to
assemble a team of advisers to assist with the
takeover process.
Depending upon the size and complexity of a bid,
and the resources of a bidder, a bidder may
appoint some or all of the following advisers to
assist with various elements of a takeover:

Financial adviser responsibilities include:

Security registry responsibilities include:

assisting with bid structuring and strategy

general administration of a takeover:

general transaction management

processing and reporting acceptances

assisting with valuations of the target

securityholder mailings

assisting with raising finance for the bidder

other logistics

providing brokerage and market services

registry analysis

managing communications with the target,

investors, analysts and other market participants

Public relations advisers may be appointed in

relation to the following areas:

soliciting offer support and acceptances

Corporate / media responsibilities include

managing corporate communications strategy
and liaising with the media

Accounting adviser responsibilities include:

Legal adviser responsibilities include:

conducting financial due diligence on the target

assisting with bid structuring and strategy

conducting legal due diligence on the target

preparing any specialist transaction reports

required

advising on legal compliance

assisting with valuations of the target

liaising with regulators (e.g. ASIC, ASX, Panel,

ACCC and FIRB)

Tax adviser responsibilities include:

preparing transaction documentation

advising on tax efficient transaction structuring

and financing

negotiations with the target and other parties

conducting tax due diligence on the target

Retail responsibilities include managing

communications with a broad public
securityholder base (e.g. phone help-lines and
proxy solicitation services)
Government / regulatory responsibilities
include managing communications with other key
stakeholders, such as governmental and
regulatory bodies

general transaction management

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The level of access which a target may grant will

often depend upon the relative bargaining strengths
of the parties and the targets willingness to enter
into an agreed transaction at the bidders indicative
price. There is no formal requirement in Australia
for a target to provide equal information to all
potential bidders, but a failure to treat all bidders
equally may result in the Panel finding
unacceptable circumstances in the absence of the
specific compelling reasons for unequal treatment.

details of the targets directors and senior

management (including certain details of
remuneration and security holdings);

Level of due diligence friendly acquisition

Level of due diligence hostile acquisition

In a friendly acquisition, in which the target is

willing to enter into discussions with a view to
recommending a bid or scheme to its
securityholders, it is likely that a potential bidder
will seek access to detailed confidential information
regarding a target prior to finalising the terms of an
offer and announcement of the takeover.

If a target is not willing to enter into negotiations or

provide information, or if a potential bidder wishes
to preserve its anonymity and conduct due
diligence enquiries prior to announcing a bid or
approaching a target, the bidder will be limited to
conducting its enquiries based upon publicly
available information. ASX-listed companies are
under an obligation to lodge significant amounts of
information with both ASIC and the ASX, and
consequently bidders can expect to obtain from
desktop searches:

In addition a bidder can, upon application to the

target, obtain access to registers held by the
company containing details of all security and
option holders and information obtained from any
previous tracing enquiries which a target has made
into the beneficial ownership of its securities.
However, in making direct detailed enquiries of a
target such as this, a bidder runs the risk of alerting
the target to the presence of a potential acquirer.

DUE DILIGENCE
It is common that a bidder will want to perform
some due diligence on a target prior to launching a
takeover. However, it is rare for the level of due
diligence enquiries undertaken on an acquisition of
securities in an ASX-listed company to be as
extensive as the enquiries undertaken for an
acquisition of assets or securities in a private
company. The extent of the enquiries which can be
made in a public takeover will largely depend upon
whether a bid is friendly or hostile.

Although significant information will be made

publicly available pursuant to periodic and
continuous disclosure obligations, bidders will be
keen to obtain comfort about other information
which may not have been publicly disclosed
because it falls below the threshold of being
material to a normal investor or comes within one
of the permitted exceptions to the continuous
disclosure rules. If non-public price sensitive
information is obtained by the bidder, it will need to
be disclosed to the market before the bidder
acquires or agrees to acquire securities in the
target.

periodic reports such as annual reports and

accounts;
disclosure documents relating to previous
security offerings or takeovers in which the target
has been involved;
details of the targets security capital and major
securityholders;

a copy of the targets constitution; and

ASX announcements of all materially price
sensitive information relating to the target
(except information permitted to be withheld
under the continuous disclosure rules, such as
confidential information relating to incomplete
proposals or negotiations).

A hostile bidder may seek to compel a target to

provide access to due diligence by making the
provision of information or confirmation of specific
items a condition of a takeover proceeding.
Although these conditions are not considered
inherently objectionable, the Panel has indicated
that it will not generally force a target of a takeover
bid to comply with them and provide information
and such conditions have historically had little
success in the Australian market.

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Standstill agreements

Cleansing statements

In receiving non-public due diligence information

from a target, a bidder will usually be required to
enter into some form of confidentiality agreement
restricting its usage and disclosure of the
information which it receives.

If a takeover or other acquisition is to proceed and

the bidder is in possession of non-public pricesensitive information, the information needs to be
cleansed via disclosure to the market in order for
the bidder to acquire securities in the target legally.

A target will usually seek to insert a standstill

provision into such an agreement under which the
bidder undertakes not to acquire securities in the
target for a specified period other than pursuant to
an agreed offer for the company.

A bidders ability to disclose such information will

depend upon the precise terms of the
confidentiality obligations owed to the target, and a
bidder therefore needs to consider the drafting of
the those obligations carefully in order to preserve
its flexibility to disclose relevant confidential
information to the market.

Standstill provisions serve a dual purpose for a

target. They achieve a strategic goal for a target by
restricting a bidder from acquiring or increasing a
strategic stake prior to making a bid (which could
otherwise reduce the likelihood of counter-bidders
emerging), and also limit the risks of the target and
its officers committing a tipping insider trading
offence by disclosing non-public price-sensitive
information to persons who they believe may
acquire securities in the target.
In relation to insider trading concerns, even in the
absence of any specific contractual standstill
provisions, a bidder needs to refrain from acquiring
or agreeing to acquire any securities in the target
while in receipt of non-public price-sensitive
information to avoid committing an insider trading
offence.

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TIMING

STRUCTURING CONSIDERATIONS
A bidder, with assistance from its advisers, will
need to carefully consider its commercial objectives
in planning any acquisition, as the ultimate goals
and strategic rationale for a transaction will
necessarily shape its structure.
Whilst a bidder is unsure of a targets likely
response to an approach, it is often prudent to
prepare for a number of different scenarios, so that,
for example, if a target is unwilling to consider a
confidential approach for a friendly scheme or
recommended bid, the bidder has a Plan B in
reserve to acquire a strategic stake swiftly before
details of the approach are made public or to
launch an alternative hostile bid.
Amongst various other individual considerations,
bidders will often need to consider the following
factors in selecting their preferred method of
acquisition:

While the potentially

shorter timeframes of on
and off-market bids may
appeal to some, other
bidders may find the
potentially more certain
timeframe of a scheme
more attractive

STRATEGIC STAKE
A bidder will have more
flexibility in structuring
acquisitions of strategic
stakes under a scheme,
but such stakes can
increase the relative voting
power of scheme
dissenters

REGISTER
An analysis of the targets
register for supportive /
dissenting / apathetic
securityholders will inform
the likelihood of reaching
the required thresholds
under a scheme and bid

STRUCTURING
CONSIDERATIONS

FINANCING &
CONSIDERATION
A bidder needs to consider
whether it can offer scrip
or has available or
committed financing to
offer cash, and the relative
merits of each for the
bidder and target
securityholders

OUTCOME
Whether a bidder needs
100% control or is happy
to settle for 50 to 90 (or
even below 50%) will
inform choice of a scheme
/ bid and/or conditionality

TAX

FLEXIBILITY

A takeover should be
structured in a way which
optimises tax efficiency
both for the bidder and the
target and its
securityholders

The initial flexible structure

of a scheme needs to be
balanced against the ongoing flexibility under a bid
to vary an offer in
response to delays,
opposition and interloper
activity

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PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT STRATEGY
Discussions with the target
Any approach to a target seeking a prior
recommendation for a proposal (rather than simply
announcing the proposed offer outright without
forewarning) carries with it the risk that the target
announces the existence of the approach to the
market, in an effort to increase the targets security
price. Such an announcement by the target has the
potential to limit the first-mover advantage of the
bidder and the strategic flexibility it has.
The ASX Listing Rules require a target to
immediately notify the ASX (and the wider market)
of any information concerning it that a reasonable
person would expect to have a material effect on
the price or value of the targets securities.
Proposed takeover activity is always likely to fall
within the category of disclosable price sensitive
information, unless the approach and associated
discussions with a target fall within a permitted
exception to the general disclosure obligation.
Generally speaking the details of a takeover
proposal will not strictly require disclosure if:
a reasonable person would not expect the
information to be disclosed;
the information is confidential; and
the information concerns an incomplete proposal
or negotiation.

For this reason, approaches are often made on a

strictly confidential basis, any discussions
surrounding any proposal are typically emphasised
as being preliminary in nature (with commercial
terms of any offer to be finalised in due course after
negotiations) with no formal offer being proposed,
to enable a target to rely on the exception and
avoid the need to disclose the approach (although
for strategic reasons a target may want to publicise
the approach in any event).
Leaks
Nonetheless, if an approach is leaked to the market
confidentiality may be lost, at which point the
exception will no longer apply and the target will be
obliged to make an immediate announcement to
the market.
Whether or not a leak will trigger a disclosure
obligation will depend upon the specificity of any
rumour or speculation (ie. whether a target is
simply rumoured to be in discussions with an
unknown bidder or whether the identity of the
parties and key elements such as structure or price
are noted) and any corresponding movement in the
price of the targets securities. Unusual share price
movements are likely to prompt an enquiry from the
ASX which may order disclosure to correct or
prevent a false market if it considers that
unconfirmed rumours in the market may be
impacting the price of a targets securities.

Last and final statements

Bidders and targets must be wary of the effects of
making last and final statements in the context of
takeover proposals, such as that an offer price is
final or that a party will or will not commit to a
certain action. Under ASICs truth in takeovers
policy, parties will generally be held to such
statements and prevented from undertaking
contrary conduct or forced to compensate any
parties who may have suffered from reliance on the
statement. Care should be taken in any
discussions, communications or announcements to
preserve flexibility by including clear and express
qualifications with any otherwise final statements,
such as that an offer price is final in the absence
of a superior proposal or subject to another
appropriate caveat.
Deal protection mechanisms
If a target is willing to recommend a bid or scheme,
the bidder and the target will likely negotiate an
agreement detailing the terms of the proposal and
the parties obligations to each other in
implementing the transaction. In addition to the
main terms of the proposal (e.g. offer price, details
of the targets recommendation, and any offer
conditions) an agreement will often contain a
variety of deal protection mechanisms for the
benefit of the bidder and/or the target.

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SOME COMMON DEAL PROTECTION MECHANISMS TO BE NEGOTIATED ARE:

Break fee

It has become common in agreed bids and schemes for a target to agree to pay a break fee to a bidder if certain specified events occur which cause the
transaction to fail (such as the target board withdrawing its recommendation of a proposal). Whilst break fees are not objectionable per se, the Panel
may consider them unacceptable if they have an anti-competitive effect. For instance, the Panel will generally declare unacceptable circumstances exist
if the size or structure of the break fee is such that they may pose a material disincentive to the emergence of rival bids or have coercive effects on target
securityholders. As a general rule of thumb, fees not exceeding more than 1% of the equity value of a target will generally not be considered
unacceptable, although that view may be changed if payment is subject to unduly excessive or sensitive triggers. Although less common, targets may
also request a reverse break fee to compensate them if the proposal does not go ahead for some reason affecting the bidder, such as the bidder
breaching the MIA or failing to obtain regulatory approvals.

No-shop

No-shop exclusivity provisions are commonly agreed to prevent a target from shopping itself to other rival bidders for a specified period, to allow the
bidder a period of time in which to consummate its transaction. A no-shop operates by preventing the target from soliciting, encouraging or initiating
negotiations with another person with a view to obtaining a rival proposal to acquire the target or its assets. Target directors need to carefully consider
the implications of entering into such exclusivity arrangements, particularly in regard to the fiduciary duties which they owe to the target and its
securityholders. Whilst no-shop exclusivity arrangements are not objectionable per se and are fairly standard in the market, the Panel may consider them
unacceptable if they are excessively restrictive and therefore unreasonably anti-competitive or coercive, in which case the Panel may render offending
provisions unenforceable.

No-talk

No-talk exclusivity provisions go further than no-shop provisions, and seek to prevent a target from entering into any negotiations with potential rival
bidders, even where an approach is unsolicited. Because they are by nature much more restrictive than no-shop provisions, directors must take great
care in agreeing to them as they can be inconsistent with their fiduciary duties to maximise the value for securityholders in a sale of the company. For
that reason, it is common that a target board will not agree to a no-talk restriction without a fiduciary carve-out which enables them to respond to
unsolicited offers which are reasonably expected to lead to a superior proposal and which, if ignored, would likely constitute a breach of their fiduciary
duties.

Go-shop

As an alternative to a no-shop restriction, a target may request a go-shop provision under which it is entitled to shop the company to solicit other potential
bidders for a limited period of time, after which, if it has failed to solicit a superior proposal, it will submit to no-shop and no-talk restrictions.

Other

In conjunction with the exclusivity arrangements, a bidder may also seek to obtain additional rights, such as a notification right to be informed of the
details of any competing proposal received by a target, or a matching right entitling the bidder to match any superior proposals received before the target
is permitted to announce a competing transaction. The Panel can find such provisions unacceptable if they have adverse anti-competitive effects by
discouraging other potential bidders from entering negotiations and minimising any offer price increases which an original bidder may have to make to
stay in a bidding war for the target. However, notification and matching-right bidder protection provisions are becoming increasingly common and are
generally considered acceptable provided their scope is appropriately restricted, e.g. by ensuring that a notification right only entitles a bidder to be
informed of the existence of a proposal rather than receive its full details, or by providing that a matching right is limited in duration and gives a
competing bidder an opportunity to respond to any increased offer from an original bidder.

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AIR HUGS
In recent times, some acquirers have elected to
pursue a strategy of an air hug, where they
publicly announce that they have approached a
target with a view to initiating discussions to
potentially lead to an agreed offer or merger by
scheme, but stop short of formally announcing
an offer or an intention to launch one. The
strategy is intended to raise support among a
targets securityholders for a potential
transaction, in a bid to force the targets board to
the negotiating table. However, the Panel has
recently made clear that, as air hug proposals
do not constitute formal takeover proposals
which are capable of being put directly to target
securityholders, they do not benefit from the
same protections as formal takeover proposals
and, in particular, do not enliven the frustrating
actions policy which serves to restrict a targets
flexibility to undertake defensive actions upon
receipt of a takeover approach.

Discussions with target securityholders and

stakebuilding
A bidder may wish to enter into discussions with major
securityholders of a target prior to making or announcing
a takeover bid or scheme either to acquire some or all of
their securities outright or to elicit agreement to accept a
future takeover bid for those securities, in each case up
to the maximum 20% takeover threshold.
Such pre-bid arrangements enable bidders to establish a
bridgehead from which to launch a bid, with the aim of
seeding a bid with momentum, increasing the pressure
on a targets board to respond positively to the bid and
deterring potential competitors from launching rival bids.
It is important for bidders to carefully plan and execute
pre-bid arrangements to avoid a number of legal pitfalls.
Areas of particular concern include:

Confidentiality
Bidders need to ensure that appropriate confidentiality
agreements are entered into to prevent a loss of
confidentiality which could give rise to disclosure
obligations and increase deal risk. Pre-bid confidentiality
agreements also frequently contain provisions to
counteract insider trading and association issues (see
below).

Insider trading
A bidder seeking to acquire a pre-bid stake needs to
comply with Australian insider trading laws, which
prevent dealing in securities by persons who have
material price sensitive information that is not generally
available.

Whilst bidders have the benefit of the own intentions

exception to any dealing offence (in relation to the price
sensitive information that they themselves intend to
launch a bid), to avoid a tipping offence they must
ensure that any securityholders who enter into pre-bid
discussions are prohibited from dealing in securities of
the target with third parties whilst in receipt of inside
information about a future bid.

Association
It is important to ensure during pre-bid discussions that
no agreement, arrangement or understanding (written
or otherwise) arises between a bidder and any
securityholder for the purposes of controlling or
influencing a targets board or affairs or in relation to
target securities. Such arrangements may create an
association between the parties, requiring aggregation of
the parties relevant interests and potentially resulting in
premature disclosure obligations or a breach of the 20%
threshold. Discussions therefore typically take place on a
tentative and non-binding basis until such time as the
parties are ready to enter into a formal agreement.

Collateral benefits
It is unlawful for a bidder to offer a benefit selectively to
some but not all securityholders that is likely to induce a
securityholder to accept a takeover offer. While collateral
benefits are not prohibited in the context of a scheme, a
securityholder who receives such a benefit may
constitute a separate class for the purposes of voting on
the scheme, which can have adverse consequences in
reaching the necessary approvals thresholds.

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Pricing issues
While it is possible for a bidder to acquire a pre-bid stake
at a lower price than the eventual offer price, the price
paid for any securities acquired in the four month period
prior to a bid being made will operate as a minimum
price for that eventual bid.
It is common for securityholders selling a pre-bid stake
or agreeing to accept securities into an offer to retain
some exposure to potential upside to any future
increased offer price as a reward for committing their
shares and helping to seed the bid. Whilst there are
prohibitions against bidders entering into an escalator
agreement under which a pre-bid stake is acquired on
terms which entitle the vendor to a subsequent price
uplift referable to the price of the takeover bid, it is
possible to structure pre-bid arrangements so that
vendors receive the economic advantages of
subsequent price uplifts without breaching the escalator
provisions.

Pre-bid agreements and acceptance intentions

As noted above, bidders can enter into a variety of
different types of pre-bid arrangements with
shareholders to acquire securities up to the 20%
threshold. Arrangements can range from simple outright
acquisitions giving a bidder an initial stake at the outset,
to more complex arrangements involving acceptance
agreements, deferred purchase and settlement
agreements and put and call

option arrangements. These types of arrangement can

enable a bidder to acquire shares in certain
circumstances whilst also offering some flexibility for
vendors to benefit from potential increases in a bidders
offer price or superior competing offers.
As an alternative (or potentially in addition) to entering
into pre-bid agreements with target securityholders, a
bidder may seek to elicit a target securityholder to
publicly announce that they intend to accept an offer for
their securities, rather than enter into an actual
arrangement to sell their securities to the bidder. A
bidder may then rely upon the truth in takeovers
provisions to effectively bind the shareholder into acting
consistently with their statement.
The Panel has made clear that shareholders who
announce intentions to accept a bid must qualify their
intentions as being subject to there being no superior
proposal and delay acceptance until later in the offer
period to avoid the implication of there being an
arrangement with the bidder which gives rise to a
relevant interest in the shares in question.

Disclosure of securityholdings
An acquirer must give notice to a target and the ASX if
they, either alone or together with associates, acquire an
interest in 5% or more of the voting securities of a target.
The obligation requires notice to be given within two
business days of the acquirer becoming aware of the
circumstances giving rise to the interest.

Once a substantial holding is obtained, a holder must

give further notice of any subsequent changes of 1% or
more in the voting securities held, and to give notice on
ceasing to be a substantial holder. During the period of a
takeover bid, changes in a bidders interest in the target
need to be notified by 9.30am on the next trading day.
Importantly, substantial holding notices must attach
copies of any relevant documents which give rise to the
interest, such as copies of any sale agreements under
which an interest is acquired or any agreements which
create an association between relevant parties.
These disclosure provisions require bidders to be careful
when stakebuilding or entering into pre-bid agreements
with target securityholders to avoid inadvertently
breaching a disclosure threshold and triggering an
obligation to prematurely disclose stakebuilding activities
and the underlying documents giving rise to them.
Interests in purely economic derivative instruments
(such as cash settled equity swaps) which do not
provide for physical settlement of securities or grant
voting rights to an acquirer do not give rise to relevant
interests and therefore do not require disclosure under
these provisions. However, the Panel considers that
non-disclosure of such positions can give rise to
unacceptable circumstances in the context of control
transactions, and therefore expect holders any such
positions which exceed 5% to disclose them where a
control transaction or acquisition of a substantial interest
occurs or is proposed.

www.kwm.com | 23

5. IMPLEMENTING AN
OFF-MARKET TAKEOVER BID
KEY FEATURES OF AN OFF-MARKET
TAKEOVER BID
An off-market bid is the most common form of takeover
in Australia.

Applicable securities
The offer must relate to all of the securities in the target
company of the relevant class, or a specified proportion
of the securities in the bid class held by each target
securityholder. An offer cannot be made on a first in
first served basis.

Consideration
The consideration must be equal to, or more than, the
amount or value of the highest consideration for the
securities which the bidder or its associates have
provided in the four months before the date of the bid.
Except in very limited circumstances, all target
securityholders must be offered the same consideration
per security.
A bidder must pay for securities no later than one month
after the offer is accepted or becomes unconditional,
whichever is the later and, in any event, not later than 21
days after the offer closes.
A bidder must have a reasonable expectation of being
able to fund the bid before announcing it (which
generally means having sufficient cash reserves and/or
binding commitments for debt financing).

Conditions
An offer under an off-market bid may be conditional. A bidder may subsequently declare the offer to be free from a
condition by giving notice to the target and ASX (or ASIC if the target securities are not listed), in most cases not less
than seven days before the end of the offer period. If at the end of the offer period the remaining conditions are not
satisfied, all acceptances under the offer are void and no securities are acquired.
Australian law prohibits certain conditions in takeovers. Set out below are examples of some common bid conditions
and prohibited bid conditions:
Examples of common takeover conditions

Examples of prohibited takeover conditions

a condition that the bidder receives acceptances in

respect of a specified minimum percentage of voting
securities, usually 50.1% (which normally gives the
bidder control of the target) or 90% (which normally
allows compulsory acquisition to proceed)

the offer may be withdrawn if the number of

acceptances exceeds a specified number

a condition that none of the events or circumstances

referred to in sections 652C(1) or (2) of the
Corporations Act (prescribed occurrences) occurs
in relation to the target or its subsidiaries (e.g. certain
transactions which affect a targets share capital or
involve the sale of a substantial part of its business)
a condition that regulatory approvals are received
(for example, FIRB or ACCC approval)
a condition that there are no material adverse
changes in the financial position of the target
company
a condition that there is no issue of securities by the
target or its subsidiaries and no sale of the main
undertaking of the target

the bidder may acquire securities from some, but not

all, persons accepting offers under the bid
offerees must approve payment of compensation for
loss of office to a director, secretary or executive
officer of the target company or a related body
corporate
a condition, the fulfilment of which depends upon an
opinion, belief or other state of mind of the bidder or
an associate, or the occurrence of some event within
the sole control of the bidder or associate (although
as a matter of practice, regulatory approval
conditions which require positive action by a bidder
to make and progress applications to regulators are
considered acceptable).
www.kwm.com | 24

On-market purchases

BID DOCUMENTATION

A bidder may only purchase securities on-market in

excess of the 20% threshold when the offer is
unconditional or is only subject to a prescribed
occurrences condition and the bidders statement
has been given to the target. If the bidder
purchases such securities above the prevailing
offer price, the offer price must be automatically
increased to match the higher price.

Offer and bidders statements

Variations
A bidder may vary its offer under an off-market bid
by increasing the amount or consideration,
changing the type of consideration, or by extending
the offer period. If the consideration is increased,
every person whose securities were acquired
before the variation is entitled to receive the
increased consideration. If cash is offered as an
alternative to securities, each person who has
accepted an offer may elect cash in lieu of the
other consideration.
Withdrawal
The bidder cannot withdraw an offer once it has
been accepted. Unaccepted offers can only be
withdrawn with ASICs consent. The targets
securityholders generally cannot withdraw their
acceptance of the offer. However, they may
withdraw their acceptance if the offer is subject to a
defeating condition and the offer period is extended
so that payment is postponed for more than one
month.

The bidder is required to prepare a bidders

statement containing prescribed information about
the bidder and the terms of the bid. The bidders
statement usually includes the offer document,
which specifies the formal terms of the offer, such
as the consideration, the length of the offer period,
and the conditions, if any, to which the offer is
subject.
A copy of the bidders statement (including the offer
document) must be lodged with ASIC and with
ASX, as well as served on the target company.
The bidders statement (including the offer
document) must also be sent to target
securityholders between 14 and 28 days after it
has been served on the target company and in any
event no later than two months after the bidder has
announced its intention to make an offer.
The bidders statement must comply with the
requirements specified in the Corporations Act.
Matters required to be disclosed in a bidders
statement include:
the identity of the bidder;
the date of the statement;
the bidders intentions regarding the business of
the target and the future employment of its
employees;

if the consideration offered under the bid is cash,

details of the funding arrangements;
if the consideration offered under the bid is or
includes securities or managed investment
products, all material that would be required by
Corporations Act to be included in a prospectus
or product disclosure statement in relation to the
securities or managed investment products;
details of the consideration provided by the
bidder or an associate for target securities in the
bid class during the four months before the date
of the bid;
details of any benefit given by the bidder or an
associate over those four months which was
likely to induce the recipient to accept an offer
under the bid;
whether the bid is to extend to securities that
come to be in the bid class during the period as
the result of the conversion of other securities;
the number of securities in any class in the target
in which the bidder has a relevant interest; and
the bidders voting power in the target.
In addition to those specific requirements, the
bidders statement must include any other
information that is known to the bidder and is
material to the making of a decision by target
securityholders as to whether to accept an offer
under the bid.

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Targets statement

Supplementary statements

The target company is required to respond to the

bidders statement by issuing a targets statement.
The targets statement must be sent by the target
company to the bidder and the targets
securityholders, and must also be lodged with
ASIC and ASX.

The bidder and the target must prepare

supplementary statements in relation to the
following, where such matters would be material
from a target securityholders point of view:

A targets statement must include all information

that target securityholders and their professional
advisers would reasonably require to make an
informed assessment whether to accept the offer
under the bid. A targets statement must also
contain a statement by each director of the target:
recommending that offers under the bid be
accepted or not accepted, and giving reasons for
the recommendation; or
giving reasons why a recommendation is not
made.
The targets statement must also be accompanied
by an independent experts report where the bidder
and its associates has a voting power in the target
of over 30%, or where both companies share a
common director.
However, an independent experts report is
commonly produced even when it is not strictly
required by law, as a target board will often seek to
rely on the backing of an independent experts
report to justify their valuation of and response to a
bid.

where the bidder or the target becomes aware of

a misleading or deceptive statement in, or of an
omission of required information from, its original
documents; or
where the bidder or target becomes aware of a
new circumstance, arising after the original
documents were lodged, that would have been
included if it had arisen before the documents
were lodged.
The supplementary statement must be sent to the
bidder or target (as applicable) as soon as
practicable, and given to ASIC and ASX (or to the
securityholders who have not accepted an offer
under the bid, if the target is not listed).

LIABILITY REGIME
The Corporations Act provides an extensive regime
of liability for misleading or deceptive statements,
omissions or conduct in relation to takeovers
generally.
Contravention of this regime can potentially result
in a wide range of penalties and sanctions.

For example, a bidder and its directors may be

deemed liable for a defective bidders statement
and will be potentially liable to any person who
suffers loss or damage as a result of a misleading
or deceptive statement in, or an omission of a
material particular from, the bidder statement.
The range of persons who may be liable for
misleading or deceptive statements, omissions or
include the directors of the offeror company and
target company and experts who consent to their
reports being included in any takeover
documentation. In some instances the advisers of
the offeror and target company may, depending on
the extent of their involvement in the preparation of
takeover documentation, also be liable for any
damage or loss resulting from a misleading or
deceptive statement or material omission.
It is important to note that liability for misleading or
deceptive statements extends beyond the contents
of the bidders (or targets statement), to cover
other documents and public statements made in
relation to a takeover and a targets securities.
While there are some statutory due diligence-type
defences for misstatements and omissions in the
bidders statement, there are no such formal
defences available for misleading and deceptive
statements made outside of the bidders statement.
A person who is responsible for a contravention
may not only be subject to civil liability, but also
may be subject to criminal liability.

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ENFORCEMENT AND DISPUTES

As noted earlier, ASIC supervises the operation of
Chapter 6 and has wide powers to exempt persons
from or to modify or vary the operation of any of
provisions of Chapter 6.
The Panel is the primary forum for resolving
disputes under Chapter 6. Indeed, only ASIC or
another public authority is permitted to commence
court proceedings in relation to a takeover bid, or a
proposed takeover bid, until the bid period has
ended.

If the Panel makes a declaration of unacceptable

circumstances, it may make any order that it thinks
appropriate, among other things, to protect the
rights or interests of any person affected by the
circumstances. It may also make interim orders
pending the outcome of its decision-making
process,
It is an offence to contravene a Panel order, and
they are enforceable through the Courts.
Takeovers Panel activity

The members of the Panel are selected according

to their knowledge of, or experience in, business,
the administration of companies, the financial
markets, law, economics or accounting. The
objectives of making the Panel the primary forum
were to provide a speedy, informal process for
resolving takeover disputes and to reduce, if not
eliminate, recourse to litigation as a tactical
manoeuvre in takeover defence.

Since being constituted in 2000, the Panel has

dealt with over 340 applications. While
applications span a wide variety of issues, some
common grounds for applications are:

The Panel is given the broad power to declare

circumstances in relation to the affairs of an
Australian company to be unacceptable
circumstances, having regard to their effect on the
control of the company or the acquisition of a
substantial interest in it. The Panel may make
such a declaration even if the relevant
circumstances do not involve a contravention of
Chapter 6. Conversely, the Panel may, but need
not, make such a declaration in circumstances that
involve such a contravention.

alleged associations between participants in a

takeover and related breaches of Chapter 6;

misleading or inadequate disclosure to

securityholders (around half of the Panels
applications have been grounded on failures to
provide sufficient information to
securityholders);

exclusivity and lock-up arrangements inhibiting

the operation of an efficient and competitive
market;

TIMETABLE
An uncontested off-market bid will usually take a
minimum period of three months from
announcement to completion. If the bid is
contested by the target company or another bidder,
or if another bidder has announced a competing
bid, the period for the takeover bid may be
substantially longer while the bidder attempts to
secure control or reach the compulsory acquisition
threshold.
Offers under a takeover bid must be open for a
minimum of one month and a maximum of 12
months.
A bidder is generally free to extend its offer at any
time up to the end of the bid if it is unconditional. If
a bid is still subject to conditions, it cannot be
voluntarily extended by the bidder after the bidder
gives notice of the status of the conditions (which
must occur on a specified date between 7 and 14
days before the close of the offer) unless a rival
takeover bid is announced or improved. However, if
in the last seven days of the offer period the bidder
improves the consideration offered, or the bidders
voting power in the target increases to more than
50%, the offer period is automatically extended for
14 days after the event.

adverse control effects arising from rights

issues and underwriting arrangements; and

Withdrawal rights are afforded to holders who have

accepted a conditional bid if the bid is extended by
more than a month (in total).

arrangements which result in unequal treatment

of securityholders (such as collateral benefits).

The following page sets out an indicative timetable

for a standard off-market takeover.
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INDICATIVE TIMETABLE FOR AN OFF-MARKET BID

Announcement
Bidders statement
lodged with ASIC

Earliest date for dispatch of

bidders statement and offers to
target securityholders (unless target
board consents to early dispatch)3

Bidders statement
served on target
and lodged with ASX2

Latest date for dispatch of targets

statement, service on the bidder
and lodgment with ASIC and ASX

Earliest day for

close of offer4

Final date for declaring

a conditional bid unconditional
or extending a conditional bid

Complete sending bidders

statement to target securityholders

Day 1
On same day
or within 21
days

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Day 15

Day 17

Earliest date for

dispatch of
compulsory
acquisition notices5

At least 7
days

No later than 15 days

Begin preparation1

Earliest day for

compulsory
acquisition to
take effect6

Day 32

Day 38

Day 46 Day 47

Day 79

At least one calendar month (offer period)

Action items during this period include: preparing the bidders statement, preparing and lodging FIRB and/or ACCC applications (if required), making an ASX announcement and holding a board
meeting to approve the bidders statement.
Bidder can serve the bidders statement on the target on same day as it lodges with ASIC or within 21 days. The last day permitted for making offers is two months after the bid is announced.
Bidders statement must be sent to target securityholders within a three-day period, which itself is within 1428 days from service of the bidders statement on the target unless the target waives
the 14 day period.
Offer cannot close earlier than one month after the offer opens, and cannot remain open for more than 12 months.
Compulsory acquisition notices must be lodged and dispatched during or within one month after the end of the offer period.
Assumes no requests for lists of securityholders or other action taken by non-accepting securityholders. Compulsory acquisition must be completed within a 14 day period at the end of one month
after the date the compulsory acquisition notice was lodged.

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THE ENDGAME CLOSING A BID

Some strategies that can be employed by bidders to increase the prospects of success in the final stages
of a takeover include:
.

Acceptance
facilities

Under an acceptance facility, an agent holds acceptance instructions on behalf of a

securityholder, which can withdraw its instructions at any time before a defined trigger event (such
as the satisfaction of all conditions) occurs. Upon the trigger, the facility immediately locks in all
acceptances in the facility at that time, and the bidder gets the benefit of those acceptances which
can no longer be withdrawn. The use of acceptance facilities is particularly effective in the case of
institutional securityholders, whose investment mandates often prevent them from accepting an
offer until it is unconditional. By using an acceptance facility, such holders are able to provisionally
accept into the facility while the bid is still conditional, e.g. while it is still subject to a 50%
minimum acceptance condition. A strong flow of acceptances into an acceptance facility can then
give a bidder momentum in building acceptances and, if acceptances in the facility plus actual
acceptances exceed the level of a minimum acceptance condition, a bidder will be able to waive
that condition knowing that the facility will close upon the waiver and lock in all acceptances in the
facility at that time.

Last and final

statements

These statements, under which a bidder announces that an offer is final or will not be extended,
can be used to force the hand of securityholders waiting for a potential higher offer.

Virtual
variations

By promising to remove outstanding offer conditions or improve the offer price should the bid
achieve a specified level of acceptances, bidders are often able to elicit further acceptances
without having to actually vary an offer until the relevant target is reached.

Accelerated
payment

By reducing the time period in which acceptances are paid out under the offer terms (e.g. to make
payment equivalent to the on-market terms of T+3 (being the day of trade plus three trading
days), a bidder can make an offer more attractive to securityholders, in particular relative to the
alternative of selling on-market.

Removing
conditions

A decision to remove outstanding conditions before the last week of the offer period will often
encourage securityholders to accept the unconditional offer, and can be used in conjunction with
voluntary or automatic extensions available in the last week of a bid period. Bidder are not entitled
to waive conditions (other than those relating to standard prescribed occurrences) in the last week
of an offer period. If the offer is still conditional it cannot be extended during the last week of the
offer period, unless a competing bid is made or improved.

Last-week
variations

Strategies of delaying decisions over whether to extend the offer period (if the offer is
unconditional) or increase the offer price in the last week of an offer can often place
securityholders under pressure to consider accepting a bid. However, care must be taken to
ensure compliance with the provisions of Chapter 6. As noted at page 25 above, a bidder cannot
generally elect to extend a conditional bid in the last week of an offer, but a bid will be
automatically extended for 14 days if in the last seven days of the offer period the bidder
increases the offer price or reaches voting power of 50% in the target.

COMPULSORY ACQUISITION AFTER A

BID
A bidder under a takeover bid may compulsorily
acquire any remaining securities in the bid class if,
by the end of the offer period, it and its associates
have:
relevant interests in 90% by number of securities
in the bid class; and
if a bidder begins with an interest in more than
60% of the target, also acquired at least 75% by
number of the securities that the bidder offered to
acquire under the bid (whether or not the
acquisitions occurred under the bid or
otherwise).
A notice of compulsory acquisition must be lodged
with ASIC and ASX and given to all remaining
holders of securities in the bid class during or
within one month after the end of the offer period.
The bidder is then entitled to acquire the
outstanding securities on the terms applicable
under the bid. Dissenting securityholders may
contest the compulsory acquisition by court
application.
In the absence of objections from securityholders,
the compulsory acquisition process typically takes
between five and eight weeks from obtaining the
necessary entitlement thresholds.

www.kwm.com | 29

6. RESPONDING TO A
TAKEOVER APPROACH
IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
BIDDERS

FORMULATING A RESPONSE STRATEGY

The overriding principle of a response strategy is not
simply to deter potential bidders, but rather to ensure
that if control is going to pass, the transfer occurs on
favourable terms and at a price that reflects the true
underlying value of the company.
The aim of a takeover response is to ensure that any bid
for the company maximises securityholder value and
allows securityholders to make an informed decision on
whether or not to accept a takeover bid, as opposed to
protecting the personal position of management or
directors. Should an unsolicited offer emerge, the
interests of the company, its securityholders and other
stakeholders will be best served by a decisive,
coordinated and effective response from the board and
management team, which will increase the likelihood
that an inadequate offer for the company will fail, and in
the event that an offer appears likely to succeed,
maximise the consideration for securityholders.
Planning for and being vigilant against an unsolicited
takeover bid will ensure that the company is in a position
to make an effective response to an unsolicited takeover
offer or approach. Some important planning measures
to ensure a company is prepared for an unsolicited
takeover bid include:

DEVELOP
RELATIONSHIPS WITH
EQUITY DESKS

It is useful to monitor
activities of likely potential
acquirers and consider
specific tactics and
strategies for use against
them in the event of
an offer

IDENTIFY
SUPPORTIVE PARTIES
Analyse potential
counter-bidders, white
knights, strategic investors
and other supportive parties
who may be approached in
the event of a bid

They can play an important

role in communicating the
companys messages and
reporting back market
sentiment

PLANNING
AND
VIGILANCE
MEASURES

PREPARATION OF A
RESPONSE MANUAL
This will assist a target to
plan before a takeover
approach is received, and
outline the actions directors
and managers should take
immediately

COMMUNICATE THE
COMPANYS VALUE TO
THE MARKET
The best response strategy
is to ensure a company is
fully valued by the market.
Communications with
analysts are an effective
way to do this

MONITOR TRADING
Regularly review trading
volumes, purchases and
prices on the ASX.
Determine who is buying,
and detect if any transactions
are being held back from
registration (sometimes done
by a stakebuilder)

PREPARE THE BOARD

OF DIRECTORS
Directors should be
prepared to be able to deal
with an unsolicited takeover
bid. The board should be
able to maintain a unified
board consensus on key
strategic issues

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Preparation of a takeover response manual

PRE-EMPTIVE PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES

A defence manual is a document which outlines

how a company can plan and prepare for an
unsolicited takeover approach, and how to deal
with an approach immediately after it has been
received. It will assist the company in delivering a
swift, decisive and co-ordinated response.

The most effective preventative measure to an inadequate takeover bid is strong financial performance,
which should encourage securityholder loyalty and ensure that a companys securities are fully priced.

The manual will help directors and executives to

avoid confusion and mistakes in the crucial first few
days after a formal approach is made, or a bid is
announced. It will also allow the company to avoid
the need to undertake basic administrative and
advisory work when time pressures are the
greatest. A manual will also provide directors with a
guide to their responsibilities and the appropriate
processes to be followed to discharge those duties.
King & Wood Mallesons can assist in the
preparation of a defence manual. For further
information, please contact one of the partners
listed at the end of this publication.

However, there are a number of other measures which may decrease the chance of an unsolicited
takeover or approach. These strategies should only be implemented if the directors genuinely believe that
they are in the best interests of securityholders and the transactions are being implemented in good faith
and for proper purposes. Further, as many measures which have the effect of prohibiting or discouraging
unsolicited takeover bids are highly regulated in Australia by the ASX Listing Rules, the Corporations Act
and the Panel, legal advice should be sought prior to implementing any of these strategies. Given the
impact of these regulations, the likelihood of such strategies being effective in thwarting potential takeover
activity may be low. However, some examples of strategies that have been regarded as defensive in the
context of anticipated or subsequent takeover bids include:
Expansion by
way of
acquisition

This is particularly effective if funded by an issue of securities. However, this may also force the
hand of a potential bidder and could potentially result in an unsolicited offer.

Amendment of
capital
structure

The alteration of a companys capital structure may act as a defensive strategy if it makes a
potential bidders task more difficult, e.g. a pro-rata issue of securities increasing the number of
shares for a bidder to acquire or an issue of convertible securities with special terms and
conditions that apply in the event of a takeover.

Poison Pills

For example, changes in the companys capital structure or pre-emptive rights or change of
control provisions in material contracts may result in adverse consequences in the event of a
takeover, which may deter potential acquirers. However, the Panel may declare poison pills to
be unacceptable if they have not been disclosed to or approved by securityholders.

Golden
Parachutes

A review of employment contracts to include large payments for a change in control is often
known as Golden Parachutes. (However, note that Golden Parachutes are restricted by the
ASX Listing Rules, the Corporations Act and Directors duties).

Shark
Repellents

Amending the provisions in companys constitution to cause the company to be a less attractive
or attainable target, such as a percentage restriction on acquiring securities, or restrictions on
securityholders rights to convene general meetings.
www.kwm.com | 31

RESPONDING TO AN APPROACH
Immediate response
As soon as a takeover offer is received, the target
board should be notified immediately and should
convene a meeting as soon as possible. Senior
management should also be notified and a
takeover defence team (see below) assembled. If
the bidders approach is made publicly, a holding
statement should be sent to ASX, urging
securityholders to take no action in relation to the
offer until given further direction by the board after
more detailed consideration. If the target company
is informed of the takeover bid prior to a public
announcement, it should consider whether trading
in the companys securities should be halted until
the bid is announced.
Once a bid is announced, directors should be
careful that their actions in responding to the bid
are not motivated by any improper purpose, in
particular, trying to frustrate the bid for their own
benefit.
Key roles and advisers
It is common practice for large Australian
companies to establish a takeover response team
(which would typically include key executives,
managers, directors and other employees of the
company). It is usually necessary at times to call
upon other parties to provide specific assistance to
the takeover defence team (for example, legal
advisers, public relations consultants).

The general roles of the takeover response team,

and the external advisers, are outlined below:
The board Comprised of full board. Roles
include:
authorising overall strategic response to
unsolicited offer
full and final approval for major decisions,
including whether to recommend or reject the
bid, whether to seek a counter bidder, and
authorising the signing and despatch of the key
response documents (e.g. the targets statement)

Takeover strategy group Comprised of CEO,

CFO, other senior management and key advisers.
Roles include:
developing initial response strategy for the
boards approval
management of the takeover response
recommending appropriate courses of action to
the board and board sub-committee
overseeing communications and response
documents

key directors and chairman may have roles in

negotiating with the target and communicating to
shareholders and the media

Takeover response team Comprised of wider

group of senior management (including legal, HR,
investor relations, finance) and advisers. Roles
include:

Board response committee Comprised of Chair

and CEO (and potentially other directors). Roles
include:

overseeing implementation of tasks and

strategies set by the takeover strategy group

co-ordinating and managing the implementation

of strategic responses

preparing drafts of key documents and

communications

approving communications releases

monitoring takeover and market developments

and reporting on material issues

sign-off of the targets statement and other

response documents

conducting detailed analysis of the offer and

analysing the bidders tactics and strategy

making recommendations to the full board

liaising with other advisers

instructing financial and legal advisers

www.kwm.com | 32

Legal advisor Roles include:

providing strategic, legal and tactical advice
participation in takeover strategy group and
takeover response team
working closely with the target and the financial
advisers to formulate and structure defence
strategies
assisting with planning and conducting targets
statement due diligence
drafting the targets statement
reviewing the bidders statement to identify any
legal issues and hurdles
managing regulatory requirements, involving
communicating with regulators such as ASIC and
the Panel
undertaking Panel or Court procedures, if any
ensuring that the brief to any independent
experts meets legal requirements
Financial advisor Usually an investment bank or
independent advisory house). Roles include:
overall responsibility for strategic, financial and
tactical advice
participation in takeover strategy group and
takeover response team
securityholder/broker analysis
analysing the bidder, the price it can afford to
pay, and its likely tactics

analysing (and potentially approaching) potential

counter-bidders and friendly parties
preparing analyst/investor presentations
developing alternative approaches for
maximising securityholder value
Public relations consultants Roles include:
responsible for the development of the overall
communications strategy for major and retail
securityholders, relevant analysts and the media
ensuring effective and efficient communication
with all stakeholders
Other It may be necessary through the course of
a bid to involve other parties, such as independent
experts to prepare reports to accompany the
targets statement, proxy solicitation services to
make and field calls from securityholders and
printers to print and distribute the targets
statement and other communications.

Defensive tactics
There are a number defence strategies that a
target can use in response to an unsolicited
takeover. The companys ability to adopt such
defences will be dependent on directors duties
under the Corporations Act, compliance with ASX
Listing Rules, and the Panels power to declare
certain actions to constitute unacceptable
circumstances. Some tactics will therefore require
the approval of securityholders to implement.
A target will often devise its key defensive tactics
and themes in the preliminary stages of its
defence. Key themes adopted will be implemented
and repeated in various documents released to the
market and set to securityholders.
Outlined over the page are some of the defensive
strategies that may potentially be adopted following
an approach:

www.kwm.com | 33

COMMON DEFENCE STRATEGIES

Branding the bid as
inadequate or
opportunistic

Criticism of the commercial desirability of an offer is usually dealt with in the target statement. This can be done by highlighting the inadequacy of the bid
in terms of:

the premium/discount to market (before and after the offer is announced);

a multiple of historic and future earnings or a comparison of the offer to trading and transaction multiples of comparable companies;
the fundamental value estimated by an expert, if engaged, or the strategic importance and value of the company, including any hidden
value not fully appreciated by the market; and
any conditionality (and associated risk) attached to the bidders offer.

Commission of an
independent expert
report

Legally, an independent experts report is only required when the bidder holds more than 30% of the company, or has common directors. However, an
independent experts report is voluntarily included in many target statements to justify a boards response to an offer.

Criticising the bidder

To the extent that the offer consideration is scrip, it may be helpful to undermine the value of the bidders scrip. A target may also seek to attack the
credibility of the bidders business or management or to highlight a bidders ability to pay more in light of anticipated synergies and other perceived deal
benefits.

Releasing
favourable
information

The company should ensure that, wherever possible, favourable information is released to the market and those who can influence shareholder opinions
(such as the media and analysts) to ensure that the company is fully valued by the market.

Announcing higher
dividends, capital
return or a bonus
issue

Depending on the companys balance sheet position, a cash return to securityholders may be appropriate. The feasibility of this strategy will be
dependent on the structure and the gearing of the company at the time of the offer. In particular, if a company has been advised of a proposed takeover,
the ASX Listing Rules will prevent the company from issuing new securities for the next three months unless securityholder approval is obtained.

Facilitating another
bid or alternative
transaction

If directors approach an alternative interested person to see if a higher bid might be made, the directors actions must be even-handed between
competing bidders and must be designed to facilitate an auction or some other method to assist securityholders in receiving a fair market price for their
securities.

Encourage friendly
buying or placement
to white knight

The directors of the target may be able to encourage a third party to buy securities in the company to in turn encourage the bidder to increase the offer
price. Care should be taken that the third party purchaser of the securities is not an associate of the target, especially when the target has an interest in
its own securities.

Appeal to the loyalty

of securityholders

Some securityholders may be influenced by an appeal not to let control of the company pass to a particular bidder. This may be a useful strategy where
the bidder is a foreign corporation, or where the bidder is likely to break up the target upon a successful bid. Communications should seek to enhance
understanding by securityholders of the future direction of the company. Letters from the chairman to securityholders can be an important tool in keeping
small securityholders informed and onside.

Appeal to courts,
the Panel, or other
regulators

It is common practice in a hostile takeover for the target and its advisers to conduct a detailed review of the bidders statement and other announcements
looking for anything that could be the basis for an application to the Panel or complaint to ASIC or any other regulatory non-compliance. A target may
also seek to lobby specific regulators which have the ability to directly or indirectly influence the outcome of a bid.

Making a counterbid
for the bidders
securities (the
Pacman defence)

A Pacman defence is a term used to describe a targets bid for the bidder. If the Pacman defence is used, directors should be aware that the defensive
www.kwm.com | 34
bid is likely to trigger a defeating condition of the initial bid, and may constitute frustrating action. Such a defence may also be viewed as an act by the
directors of the target to protect their own interests, which would be a breach of their director duties.

Glossary

DIRECTORS DUTIES
Australian law (and the ASX Listing Rules and
Panel policy in particular) prohibit a company from
adopting strategies designed to prevent a bid being
made or to frustrate a bid once it has been made,
unless securityholder approval has been obtained.
Directors should proceed with caution when
considering whether an act has the potential to
frustrate a bona fide offer. The Panel has
consistently expressed the view that transactions
which have an effect on the control of a company
should be left to securityholders, not the board of
the company, to decide - any attempt by a target
board to interfere in the right of securityholders as
a group to approve transactions will likely be
unacceptable. The fundamental obligation of
directors is to act bona fide in the interests of the
company and for a proper purpose, irrespective of
whether a takeover bid has been made.
Directors are under a duty to assess the
reasonableness of any takeover bid. This will
include obtaining appropriate information in order
to assess the companys value. Where necessary,
directors need to obtain professional advice, such
an engaging an independent expert. Ultimately,
directors are responsible for ensuring that
securityholders are provided with sufficient
information to make an informed assessment as to
whether to accept the offer under the bid.

Directors must also take care that any of their

actions, including defensive actions, must not give
rise to a declaration of unacceptable circumstances
by the Panel. Action by the targets directors to
frustrate a bid or a potential bid (in particular, any
action taken by the target which could trigger a
condition to the bidders offer or may otherwise
lead to that offer being withdrawn or not
proceeding) may constitute unacceptable
circumstances because it deprives securityholders
of the opportunity to consider the bid. The
directors may remedy frustrating action which
would otherwise amount to unacceptable
circumstances by obtaining securityholder approval
for the action.
Directors must also ensure that material provided
to securityholders remains current and correct after
it has been published and comply with continuous
disclosure obligations under the Corporations Act
and, where applicable, the ASX Listing Rules.
If a conflict of duty arises, a target director must
make full disclosure of their interests, and abstain
from taking part in voting or deliberations in relation
to the bid. The board could create a subcommittee of directors who are not conflicted to
make decisions on, and to consider, the bid. A
target should also adopt formal protocols to
manage any conflicts arising from the bid as
recommended by the Panel.

ACCC

The Australian Competition and

Consumer Commission, responsible
amongst other things for ensuring that
takeovers will not substantially lessen
competition in a market

ASIC

The Australian Securities &

Investments Commission, the
regulatory body which administers and
ensures compliance with the
Corporations Act

ASX

The Australian Securities Exchange,

the primary securities exchange in
Australia which operates pursuant to
the ASX Listing Rules for listed
entities

Corporations
Act

The Corporations Act 2001 (Cwth),

which regulates corporate activities
and the securities market in Australia

FIRB

The Foreign Investment Review

Board, a governmental body which
assists the Treasurer in ensuring
acquisitions are consistent with the
Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers
Act 1975 (Cth) and Australias foreign
investment policy

MIA

A merger implementation agreement

(sometimes referred to as a scheme
or bid implementation agreement),
which governs the relationship
between a bidder and target in an
agreed takeover

Panel

The Takeovers Panel, a body of

professionals empowered under the
Corporations Act to adjudicate on
disputes arising in relation to
www.kwm.com | 35
takeovers

OUR EXPERIENCE
AXA ASIA
PACIFIC

on bids by AMP and

National Australia Bank and
its eventual A$14.6bn
scheme of arrangement to
sell its Australian and New
Zealand businesses to AMP
and its Asian businesses to
AXA SA

on its A$3.4bn acquisition

by the Canada Pension
Plan Investment Board by
way of a scheme of
arrangement

XSTRATA

on numerous public M&A

transactions in Australia
worth in excess of A$10bn,
including successful
takeover bids for Resource
Pacific, Jubilee Mines and
Sphere Minerals

on the acquisition of its

A$20bn stake in Rio Tinto
and subsequent proposal to
invest a further A$20 billion
through an acquisition of an
additional stake and
interests in Rio Tintos
underlying assets

LION
NATHAN

on its A$6bn scheme of

arrangement for the
privatisation by Kirin
Holdings and on takeover
bids for Coca-Cola Amatil
and Coopers Brewery
Limited

DONE DEALS
King & Wood Mallesons has a strong track record
of acting on some of the Asia Pacific regions most
complex and innovative public M&A transactions.

INTOLL

CHINALCO

BG
GROUP

BROOKFIELD
INFRASTRUCTURE
PARTNERS

PRIMARY
HEALTHCARE

on its successful A$5.6bn

on-market takeover of
Queensland Gas Company
and attempted A$13.8bn
scheme of arrangement and
off-market takeover bid for
Origin Energy
on its initial 40% investment
in Prime Infrastructure
Group and subsequent
scheme of arrangement and
combined takeover bid for
the remaining 60% of Prime

on its successful A$3.5bn

contested acquisition of
healthcare operator
Symbion Health by way of
an off-market takeover with
an associated capital
raising

www.kwm.com | 36

OUR CONTACTS
Tim Bednall, Partner
Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2922
M +61 414 504 922
[email protected]

Greg Golding, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2164
M +61 419 800 056
[email protected]

Simon Milne, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Hong Kong
T +852 3443 1023
M +852 6053 2303
[email protected]

David Perks, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Perth
T +61 8 9269 7089
M +61 409 077 270
[email protected]

Evie Bruce, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2106
M +61 448 285 402
[email protected]

Robert Hanley, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
London
T +44 20 7496 1717
M +44 7810 434 350
[email protected]

Stephen Minns, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Melbourne
T +61 3 9643 4216
M +61 417 797 426
[email protected]

Geoff Rogers, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Perth
T +61 8 9269 7106
M +61 419 284 197
[email protected]

Louis Chiam, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Melbourne
T +61 3 9643 4086
M +61 417 266 545
[email protected]

Lee Horan, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2283
M +61 404 807 972
[email protected]

Joseph Muraca, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Melbourne
T +61 3 9643 4436
M +61 400 394 382
[email protected]

Craig Semple, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Melbourne
T +61 3 9643 4262
M +61 400 446 028
[email protected]

Shannon Finch, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2497
M +61 400 442 991
[email protected]

John Humphrey, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Brisbane
T +61 7 3244 8061
M +61 418 796 867
[email protected]

Diana Nicholson, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Melbourne
T +61 3 9643 4229
M +61 418 481 632
[email protected]

Stuart Valentine, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Hong Kong
T +852 3443 1080
M +852 9307 2341
[email protected]

Hayden Flinn, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Hong Kong
T +852 3443 1113
M +852 6713 9394
[email protected]

Nigel Hunt, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Perth
T +61 8 9269 7080
M +61 419 818 819
[email protected]

Nick Pappas, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2275
M +61 418 231 504
[email protected]

Nicola Wakefield Evans, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2348
M +61 419 789 454
[email protected]

David Friedlander, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2444
M +61 417 922 444
[email protected]

Robert Jackson, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Brisbane
T +61 7 3244 8067
M +61 409 729 794
[email protected]

Meredith Paynter, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2277
M +61 418 698 126
[email protected]

Jason Watts, Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions
Sydney
T +61 2 9296 2489
M +61 419 645 251
[email protected]

www.kwm.com | 37