Michele is a Partner of our Corporate Advisory and Governance practice, with significant experience in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions. He joined HopgoodGanim in 1998 as a Vacation Clerk and began his Articles of Clerkship with the firm in 2002. Now a partner of the firm, Michele represents a diverse client base including large public corporations and emerging, privately-owned businesses.
Michele recently led the IPO and ASX listing of Mt Isa Metals, the reverse takeover of Bandanna Energy and the $40.5 million share placement by ASX-listed Norton Gold Fields in North America and Asia. He also led the team advising Collection House on the sale of two of their businesses, Australian Business Research and National Tenancy Database, as well as advising Norton Gold Fields on its acquisition of the Paddington Gold Mine from Barrick Gold and its subsequent successful off-market takeover bid for Bellamel Mining.
Michele is also a Non-Executive Director of ASX-listed Mt Isa Metals.
Michele is an integral and senior member of our Corporate Advisory and Governance team, and recognised by clients and colleagues alike as an intelligent and hardworking practitioner.
Michele also leads HopgoodGanim's Climate Change practice and advises on the legal implications of climate change on corporations, including company obligations under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme, and other climate change regulations and policies.
Michele holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology and was awarded the QUT University Medal for outstanding academic achievement in 2002.
Specific Experience
- Advising Bow Energy on the $535 million takeover bid by Arrow Energy. Arrow is set to acquire all of Bow's issued shares through a Scheme of Arrangement to be implemented in January 2012, pending Court and Bow shareholder approval.
- Advising Norton Gold Fields on a subscription agreement with Zijin Mining Group to raise $27.7 million.
- Advising Norton Gold Fields on its gold hedge buy out and associated litigation settlement with Lehman Brothers Commercial Corp., Inc. The amount of the buy out totalled A$107 million.
- Advising Norton Gold Fields on the $30 million sale of a mining tenement in Queensland's Bowen Basin to Boardwalk Sienna.
- Advising Bow Energy on the institutional placement of 42.1 million new ordinary shares to raise $48.4 million, and on a share purchase plan for eligible existing shareholders to raise up to $30 million.
- Advising Norton Gold Fields on a private placement of shares to Hong Kong company China Precious Metal Resources Holdings, raising just under $20 million, and on the successful placement of shares worth $40.5 million to investors in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.
- Advising Mt Isa Metals on its IPO and ASX listing.
- Advising Norton Gold Fields on its $45 million acquisition of the Paddington Gold Mine from Barrick Gold, its associated $75 million fund raising, and its subsequent successful off-market takeover bid for Bellamel Mining.
- Advising on the divestment by Collection House of two if its Australian businesses, Australian Business Research and the National Tenancy Database, to Veda Advantage for $32 million.
- Advising on the $22 million placement of shares in Bandanna Energy to Korean-based SAMTAN.
- Advising on the IPO and admission of Solomon Gold to the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange.
- Advising on the proposed public offering of shares on the AIM in the United Kingdom for a global online gaming operation. In performing these duties, Michele was seconded to offices of the client in Singapore and London and conducted all aspects of due diligence, structuring and planning.
- Advising Admiralty Resources on the successful defence of a takeover offer made by Equity-1.
- Advising on the merger of Australian mineral sands interests held by Sojitz Corporation (Japan), Sons of Gwalia and BeMax Resources.
- Advising on the successful takeover by Transpacific Industries of ASX-listed Environmental Recovery Services.
