Deals February 20 2004
Freehills recently acted for furniture and homewares retailer Freedom Group on one of Australia’s largest public to private management buyouts (MBOs). The $222 million MBO of Freedom Group Ltd
Freehills recently acted for furniture and homewares retailer Freedom Group on one of Australia’s largest public to private management buyouts (MBOs). The $222 million MBO of Freedom Group Ltd by “scheme of arrangement” was approved by Freedom shareholders on 24 November last year and approved by the Federal Court on 1 December. The firm said a scheme of arrangement method was selected rather than a takeover because it was the most efficient way of allowing the MBO vehicle to use Freedom’s assets as security for the borrowing necessary to fund the buyout. This also allowed part of the consideration to be paid to shareholders as a fully franked dividend. Freedom has now gone from being a publicly listed company to a private company owned by Freedom’s senior management and one of its strategic overseas suppliers. The Freehills team was led by partner Rick Narev, and included Fiona Cadzow, Monique Lazzarini and Justine White.