John Brewster

John is Head of the Australian Corporate Practice at Ashurst and has had integral roles on a number of high-profile and complex M&A transactions for public and private companies and private equity firms for 20 years.

He has advised local and foreign companies, PE firms and major banks in the Australian market on a range of transactions including takeovers, mergers, capital raisings, public and private acquisitions and divestments and JVs, including on numerous cross-border transactions.

He is widely regarded as one of the go to lawyers for running large or complex competitive sale processes in Australia is ranked in all leading directories (including Chambers & Partners Legal 500 Asia-Pacific Best Lawyer and IFLR 1000) and was voted by peers to win Best Lawyers award for the Best Corporate Lawyer in Melbourne 2024.

John has led the Corporate Practice (which includes the M&A, private equity, ECM and funds teams) in Australia since 2022.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from at the University of Melbourne and studied a Masters of Laws at the University of Melbourne.

Highlights of John's deal experience include advising:

• Japan Post on its A$8 billion acquisition of ASX-listed Toll by scheme of arrangement.
• ANZ Banking Group on its acquisition of Suncorp bank for A$4.9 billion.
• CC Capital on its A$3.3 billion bid for Insignia Financial.
• Ardonagh and Envest on the A$2.429 billion acquisition of PSC Insurance Group Limited via a scheme of arrangement and separation of PSC UK and ANZ business between Envest and the UK part of the Ardonagh Group.
• Macquarie Capital and other shareholders on the sale of Envest to Ardonagh Group.
• Tilt Renewables on the A$2.10 billion acquisition of ASX/NZX listed Tilt Renewables by scheme of arrangement by a consortium led by Powering Australian Renewables, including AGL, QIC, the Future Fund and Mercury NZ.
• 7-Eleven on the competitive sale of 7-Eleven Australia, delivering A$2 billion for the founding shareholders; and on various corporate matters.
• Toll Group and Japan Post on the divestment of Toll's Global Express division.
• Toll Group on the acquisition of Pel-Air from Rex.
• NorthWest Healthcare on its acquisition of a 13.3% blocking stake in ASX-listed Healthscope (by derivative) and then on its acquisition of A$1.5 billion of hospital assists from Healthscope and participation in the A$4.5 billion takeover of Healthscope by Brookfield.
• Advent International on restructure and sale of Cobham Aviation to Leidos (Special Missions business) and Rex (Regional Services airline).
• Shell Energy Australia on the acquisition of ASX-listed ERM Power for A$700 million.
• Huon Aquaculture Group on the A$545 million acquisition of Huon by JBS Australia, an Australian subsidiary of JBS SA, through a scheme of arrangement.
• EMR Capital on the acquisition of 30% of ASX-listed Highfield Resources.
• EMR Capital and Farallon Capital on the acquisition of the Martabe gold mine in Indonesia for US$800 million.
• Skilled Group on the A$800 million merger with Programmed Maintenance by scheme of arrangement.
• Spotless Group on its A$720 million merger with Pacific Equity Partners by scheme of arrangement.
• Yara Australia on its sale of its Yara Nipro liquid fertilizer business to Incitec Fertilizers.
• Cobham and Advent International on the sale of Cobham's Australian Regional Services business to Rex Airlines and the sale of Cobham's Australian Special Missions business.
• Laing Investments on the sale of John Laing's interest in Royal Adelaide Hospital to AMP.
• Vital Healthcare Property Trust on its potential reorganisation as a cross-border stapled structure and dual listing on the NZX and ASX.
• Macquarie Corporate Holdings and Spectris Group on the sale of shares in EMS Brüel & Kjær Holdings Pty Limited to Envirosuite Limited.
• Donric Group shareholders on the separation and sale of the group.
• Toll on various matters, including its joint venture arrangements in Asia in the transport and logistics sector.
• Yara International ASA on its acquisition of interests in the Yara Fertilisers ammonia plant in the Pilbara from receivers appointed by ANZ Bank for ~US$600 million and then from Apache Energy for ~US$550 million. Also advised Yara on establishing ~$1 billion joint ventures with Apache and Orica in the Pilbara.
• Envest on its acquisition of additional interests in Blue Zebra Insurance
• Pinnacle Underwriting and its shareholders on a majority sale to global insurance company United Risk Global, LLC
• Ascent Pharmahealth on its merger with Strides by scheme of arrangement
• Northwest Healthcare Properties REIT on its $2.5 billion bid for Australian Unity Healthcare Property Trust
• Vital Healthcare Property Trust on its proposed ASX/NZX dual listing