Byron Koster Partner

Byron is a corporate lawyer specialising in public M&A and corporate law.

He has extensive experience in contested takeovers, schemes of arrangement, ASX listings, foreign investment, joint ventures, share buy backs and Corporations Act compliance.

Byron’s recent transactions include acting for Potentia Capital in its successful contested takeover bid for Nitro Software Limited and for Accel/KKR in its successful contested takeover bid for intelliHR Limited.

Byron was a member of the Takeovers Panel for 12 years.

Byron is also a non-executive director on the board of the Challenger superannuation fund and a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal for the National Basketball League.

Experience

Public M&A

Potentia Capital

Acting in the high profile $600m contested takeover bid for Nitro Software (ASX:NTO) (2023).

Potentia Capital

Acting in the high profile bid for Tyro Payments Limited (ASX:TYR), a listed payments provider of merchant credit, debit and EFTPOS services (2023).

Accel-KKR

Acting for HumanForce, an Accel-KKR portfolio company, on its acquisition of IntelliHRLimited (ASX:IHR), an HR software platform, by way of scheme of arrangement and subsequently by way of a concurrent on-market contested takeover bid (2023).

Quantum Health Group Limited

Acting for Quantum Health Group Limited (ASX:QTM) in its merger with Paragon Care Limited (ASX:PGC) by way of a scheme of arrangement (2022).

Liverpool Partners

Acting in relation to the successful takeover bid for Genea (2022).

Qantas Airways Limited

Acting for Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN) in its proposed merger with Alliance Services Limited (ASX:AQZ) by way of a scheme of arrangement (2022/23).

PM Capital Global Opportunities Fund

Advised PM Capital Global Opportunities Fund (ASX:PGF) on its contested proposed merger with PM Capital Asian Opportunities Fund (ASX:PAF) (2022).

Challenger Infrastructure Fund

Acting on its sale of assets and winding up.

Discovery Parks

Acting for Discovery Parks on its successful hostile takeover bid for Aspen Parks Property Fund.

Vodafone Group

Acting in its $8 billion joint venture with Hutchison Telecommunications Australia.

Wesfarmers

Acting in its $700 million takeover bid for OAMPS.

Recognition

Career & qualifications

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws, University of Sydney
  • Master of Laws, University of NSW
  • Master of Arts, University of Sydney

Memberships

  • Takeovers Panel (2005-2017)
  • NBL Tribunal (2015-Present)

Insights Read more insight

Dual-path M&A recommendation can hurt retail shareholders

Bidders for Australian listed companies usually decide to make a formal takeover bid or alternatively propose a scheme of arrangement. But sometimes both paths are taken together and a scheme of...

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