Ashurst has advised Mitsubishi Corporation, Innovation Network Corporation of Japan and JGC Corporation (together, Sellers) on their sale of the TRILITY Group Pty Ltd (TRILITY) to Beijing Enterprises Water Group.

TRILITY is a leading private and independent water utility service provider which operates across Australia and New Zealand's municipal and industrial sectors. It operates a significant number of Australian wastewater and treatment plants, including the Adelaide Desalination Plant, mine-site water treatment operations for companies including Energy Resources of Australia, and irrigation systems in South Australia and Victoria.
 
Ashurst advised the Sellers and TRILITY on the sale process, vendor legal due diligence, the negotiation of the transaction and the process for obtaining third party consents. The transaction was also subject to Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval.
 
The cross-border team was led by partners Natsuko Ogawa (Corporate) and Tanya Denning (Resources & Utilities). The team in Australia included partners Kylie Lane and Simon Fraser, counsel Arabella Dove and lawyers Angela Li, Ryan Kabat, James McGhie, Tammy Kamil, Carrie Hui, Takako Yoshizawa, Jonathan Bisset and Stephen Moore with graduate Jarred Gerson (Corporate); partner Jeff Lynn, senior associates Cassandra Wee and Jo Slater with lawyers Sara Malek and Jacinta Pitos (Resources & Utilities); counsel Justin Jones and lawyer Adelle Elhosni (Competition); partner Ian Kellock with senior associates Bronwyn Kirkwood and Elke Bremner (Tax); partners Jane Harvey and George Cooper, senior associate Abigail Cooper, and lawyers Bridget Shelton and Olivia McIntosh (Employment); partner Robert Jamieson, senior associate Jane Hall with lawyer Sophie Westland (Environment); partners Kellech Smith and Tim Brookes, counsel Emma Butler, senior associates Geoff McGrath, Stuart D'Aloisio and Liam Nankervis with lawyers Ted Talas, Ivy Keane and Tim Rankin (IP/TMT); partner Andrew Gay and lawyers Jake Saccardo and David Wang (Property); partners Michael Sloan, Simon Irvine and Kenneth Nguyen, senior associates Douglas Fung and Keith Loke with lawyers Timon Ibrahim and Alexandra Rennie (Finance); partner Rehana Box (Insurance);  senior associate James Clarke and lawyers Tim Blair, Rebecca Lew and Melanie Wong (Disputes); with counsel Emma Forbes (Legal Technology). The team in Tokyo included partner Kensuke Inoue and associate Naota Suzuki (Finance Regulatory).
 
Completion of the transaction occurred on 24 April 2018.