Mark Houston
Director
mhouston@landerer.com.au
(+612) 9261 7020

Mark Houston

EXPERIENCE:

Mark is the senior corporate lawyer of Landerer & Company and joined Landerer & Company as a partner in 1991. He has practised as a corporate and commercial lawyer since 1984 and has extensive experience in all areas of corporate and commercial practice, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, capital raisings, legal due diligence, structuring and advising business start-ups, corporate reorganisations and restructuring, corporate and trust advice, commercial agreements and executive employment contracts.

Mark has a diverse range of clients, including publicly listed companies, overseas groups and high net worth private groups, which encompass a broad spectrum of industries and businesses.

EXPERTISE:
Significant Transactions:

Tomra Systems ASA of Norway in respect of its role as shareholder of the Network Operator of the NSW Container Deposit Scheme and the roll out of the reverse vending machines at automated collection points under the Scheme;

TOMRA Collection Pty Limited in respect of it appointment as a major container collection operator under the Queensland beverage container refund scheme

Yellow Brick Road Holdings Limited in relation to its 2011 back door listing on the ASX and various capital raisings; and its acquisition of mortgage aggregator Vow Financial and of loan origination and management businesses Resi Home Loans and Loan Avenue; and establishment of the Smarter Money Fund joint venture;

Yellow Brick Road Holdings Limited in relation to the defence of the takeover bid made by Mercantile OFM Pty Limited

Publicis Groupe SA of France in relation to its acquisition of various creative and digital advertising and public relations businesses, including First Click, Mercer Bell, Match Media, 2 DataFish, Mojo, Cubed Communications, Pusher, Front Foot Media, N2N, Fuel Communications, Reed Weir and Australian adviser in relation to its worldwide acquisition of the B Com 3 group;

Proximo Spirits and Jose Cuervo group of Mexico in respect of its acquisition of Island2Island liquor distribution business

Acting for vendors of Waldorf Apartments business in Australia and New Zealand sold to the Japanese group Daiwa

Acting for the vendors of IBIS Sydney Hotel in sale to Sydney Airport Corporation

MPower Group in relation to its acquisitions of the Advanced Power and Solaris Technology businesses and the divestments of its interests in the Potter Interior Systems, Comprador Pacific and Unique World Group businesses and capital raisings on the ASX

Numerous acquisitions and divestments of radiology, pathology and orthopaedic medical practices, including acting for 56 radiologist vendors of the Pacific Medical Imaging group sold to Sonic Healthcare; acting for 22 radiologist vendors of the SKG Radiology group sold to Sonic Healthcare; acting for vendors of radiology practices sold to the Capital Radiology and PRP Imaging groups; and various orthopaedic surgeon vendors in relation to the sale of their practices to the Ortho Group and the ultimate buy back of those practices;

Healthscope Limited in relation to various acquisitions including:

  • the pathology group Davies, Campbell & de Lambert Pty Limited
  • Newcastle Private Hospital
  • Brisbane Private Hospital
  • the skin cancer clinics of Skin Alert around Australia
  • the general practice clinics of National Medical and Imaging Group in Western Australia and Victoria
  • various pathology businesses in NSW, Qld and Victoria

State Capital Investments Pty Limited, Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, Deutsche Asset Management (Australia) Limited and ABN Amro Australia Limited in relation to the sale of the Wizard Home Loans group to the GE Capital group;

Heritage Brands Limited in respect of various acquisitions, refinancings, licensing deals and capital raisings on the NSX;

TZ Limited in relation to various refinancings and capital raisings on the ASX;
Secure Parking group in relation to the buyback of minority interests in its Middle East and Asian operations.