Current practice
Ben is a partner in the Private Equity team of Freehills, which is rated by benchmarking publication PLC Which Lawyer? as a leading private equity law firm in Australia.
PLC Which Lawyer? also rates the Private Equity team as highly recommended, and recognises Ben individually as a leading lawyer in private equity fund formation in Australia.
Experience
Private equity investments
Ben has acted on private equity investments ranging from start-ups to large management buy-outs including:
- start-up and early stage investments in Active Concepts, Colloidal Dynamics, Electro Optic Systems, Entelec Systems, ExGenix, Platypus Technology, Red Sheriff, SIRTex Medical, Technico, TeeleOstin, TheraPPy, UDU World and Zoom Systems
- development capital investments, including China Media, Crazy John's, Farley Cutting Systems, Open Software Associates, Portland Orthopaedics, Total Healthcare Enterprises and VOS Industries, and
- management buy-outs and buy-ins, including Accantia Health and Beauty, Australian Pacific Paper Products, Australian Vinyls Corporation, Beston Parks Management, Blue Circle, Brown & Dureau, Envotec, HomyPed,International Energy Services, and Tempo Services.
Private equity funds
Ben has been involved in the establishment of and investment in numerous private equity funds, including the four government sponsored pre-seed funds, ABN AMRO Capital Australia Fund II, Advent V, ANZ Business Equity Fund, Candover 2005 Fund, Hastings Private Equity Fund II, IFM Australian Private Equity III and IV, IFM International Private Equity I and II, Ironbridge I and II, Paul Capital Top Tier Investment III, Starfish Technology Fund I, LP (the first Australian private equity fund established as an incorporated limited partnership) VenCap 10 and 12 and Wolseley Partners Fund I.
Ben has also been involved in reform and preparing industry standard documents relating to the use of venture capital limited partnerships.
Private equity exits
Ben has a wide range of experience in both public offerings and trade sales including Accantia Health and Beauty, SIRTex Medical, Compumedics, Digital Now, Emitch, Telstra 2 and Your Prosperity.
Professional background
Ben joined Freehills after graduating from the Australian National University with the combined degree of Bachelor of Science (majoring in biochemistry) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours).
He was admitted to the Freehills partnership in July 2006.
