Bakers and Corrs secure Staples deal
Baker & McKenzie and Corrs Chambers Westgarth are advising on Corporate Express Australia’s recommended takeover by Staples.
BAKER & McKenzie and Corrs Chambers Westgarth are advising on Corporate Express Australia’s recommended takeover by Staples. To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in. Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more! Office products company Corporate Express gave the thumbs up to the $1 billion buyout from the US giant Staples this month. Staples, the world’s largest office products company, offered $5.60 per share for the remainder of the local business that it did not alreadyown, a 22 per cent premium to its last traded price. The Staples offer will be implemented by an off-market takeover. The offer is unanimously recommended by the Independent Directors of Corporate Express but is subject to a number of conditions, including confirmation by an Independent Expert that the offer is fair and reasonable to the non-Staples shareholders, and the approval of the Foreign Investment Review Board. Ben McLaughlin and Hal Lloyd, partners in Baker & McKenzie's Sydney M&A practice are advising Corporate Express. Baker & McKenzie partner Tim Sherman, together with KPMG Tax partner Grant Wardell-Johnson, are providing tax advice. KPMG Corporate Finance partner Trevor Allen is the financial adviser. Bakers partner McLaughlin said: " Corporate Express and Staples have had a close relationship since 2008 so this is a logical next step. Baker & McKenzie has advised Corporate Express since 1995, and has completed over 60 acquisitions for the company as well as a number of capital markets transactions. Corrs Chambers Westgarth, meanwhile, is advising Staples. The Corrs lead team for the transaction includes Braddon Jolley, Byron Koster, James Rozsa, Jaclyn Riley-Smith, Nicole Graham and Clare Dunne.