Ashurst has advised Scope on the acquisition of Disability Services Australia Limited and its subsidiaries, DSA Mentoring Services Limited (DSA Mentoring) and Macquarie Employment Training Service Limited (METS).
Ashurst was appointed by Scope to advise in relation to the acquisition of DSA, METS and DSA Mentoring, which entered into voluntary administration earlier this year. Scope was chosen as the preferred bidder and the parties executed a Commitment Agreement on 17 November 2021, with the Deed of Company Arrangement being executed on 2 December. The transaction completed on 13 December 2021. This is a novel Creditors' Scheme of Arrangement as it relates to the acquisition of companies limited by guarantee.
Lead partner on the matter, Kylie Lane (Corporate Transactions), comments: "We are delighted to have assisted Scope in bringing Disability Services Australia into the Scope Group. Scope and Disability Services Australia are two of Australia most respected registered NDIS disability services providers. Disability Services Australia supports over 1500 participants in NSW and employs more than 1700 people across NSW."
Kylie was assisted by lawyers John Saunders, Maxine Viertmann and Julia Mollica, graduate Lucinda Merrett (Corporate Transactions), partner Ross McClymont, lawyers Daniel Dai, Panagiota Houpis (RSSG), partner Lucinda Hill, lawyer Amelia Barrow, graduate Quynh Nguyen (Dispute Resolution), partners Jon Lovell and Jennie Mansfield, senior associate Ffion Whaley, graduate Siobhan Parker; partners Ian Kellock and Costa Koutsis, counsel Bronwyn Kirkwood, graduate Hayley Young (Tax), partner Vicki Aron, senior associate Joy Yi (Real Estate), and partner Kellech Smith and lawyer Elizabeth Arms (IP).
