S&C advised Australian company as it divested its oil and gas portfolio

When Australia's BHP Group Limited transferred its oil and gas portfolio to Woodside Energy Group in June, creating a global top 10 independent energy company by production valued at $28 billion, the company took a major step to weight its portfolio more towards commodities with a decarbonization upside. That includes copper for renewable energy, nickel for electric vehicles, potash for sustainable farming, iron ore and metallurgical coal for the steel needed for global infrastructure and the energy transition.

 A cross-border multi-disciplinary team in Melbourne, Sydney, New York and London advised long-time client BHP on this ambitious deal, handling U.S. securities and corporate law matters and providing advice on M&A, capital markets, tax and competition matters.

With offices in Melbourne and Sydney, S&C offers a pre-eminent U.S. legal practice in Australia and New Zealand that includes capital markets work, corporate transactions, project financings, and mergers and acquisitions. The Firm also provides advice on regulatory and corporate governance matters, and represents clients in litigation and investigations.

Across the globe, as more companies move toward sustainable goals, we advise clients on all legal aspects of this trend and of the ESG movement more broadly. Key areas include:

• M&A – We help potential targets and prospective buyers consider ESG factors in M&A decision making, including the selection of targets, due diligence, integration and corporate governance.
• Clean Technology and Renewable Energy – We have taken a leading role advising clients on innovative project financings for clean technology, renewable and alternative energy.
• Corporate Governance – We advise boards on fiduciary duties and best practices for overseeing corporate purpose, sustainability and ESG matters.
• Reporting and Disclosures – We advise clients on evolving developments regarding ESG disclosure frameworks.
• Sustainability-Linked Financing – We develop and implement innovative structures and terms for green and sustainability-linked financings.

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