Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer advises Keolis Group on its acquisition of the remaining 49% interest in Keolis Downer joint venture

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSF Kramer) has advised Keolis Group (Keolis) on its acquisition of the remaining 49% interest in the Keolis Downer joint venture (Keolis Downer), resulting in Keolis Group’s 100% ownership of the business.

Keolis Downer is one of Australia’s largest private providers of multi-modal public transport. It is focused on operating and designing multi-modal public transport systems and currently operates public transport across light rail, bus and rail systems, as well as providing transport network planning and design and project delivery services.

The transaction reinforces Keolis Group’s long-term commitment to the Australian market, providing opportunities to expand its presence and deliver high-quality transport solutions. The transaction also provides Keolis’ Australian operations with ongoing access to capital, global expertise, and operational best practice from Keolis Group, enabling further customer service improvements.

The HSF Kramer team was led by Partner Clayton James and Senior Associate Nick Venn, with Partner Liza Carver advising on competition aspects. They were supported by Senior Associate Taseen Rafi and Solicitors James Newton and Ryan Chan.

HSF Kramer partner Clayton James said, “We are proud to have supported Keolis Group on this significant milestone. The transaction underscores Australia’s ongoing appeal as a destination for global investment and M&A activity. It also strengthens Keolis Group’s strategic operations in Australia and supports the continued delivery of efficient, innovative and customer-focused transport services.”

This transaction is another example of HSF Kramer’s market-leading work in Australian M&A. Other recent examples include advising:

• UGL on the proposed sale of a 50% stake in UGL Transport
• One Investment Management on proposed A$3.3 billion acquisition of Insignia Financial
• Dropsuite on its A$418 million acquisition by NinjaOne
• Wollemi Capital on its acquisition of ASX-listed MPower