Essential Group is a media and communications agency in Sydney, Melbourne and formerly New Zealand that is an integrated provider of research, strategy, media and communications services, as well as digital, advertising and creative production. It provides expert insights, developed through social research and a deep understanding of political, media and digital landscapes in Australia overseas.

Edwards + Co has assisted Essential with all corporate aspects of its business since 2015, working under a dedicated retainer relationship for most of that time, which enabled us to prioritise regular work. Some key matters we have worked on include:

• Successful implementation of a complex, cross-border merger with the UMR group of companies in New Zealand, through a scrip-for-scrip share exchange, to unify complementary businesses across the Tasman into a single corporate group with a large and diverse base of shareholders;
• Ongoing corporate work with respect to the restructure of shareholding ownership of the group, and managing shareholder exit matters, through equity buy-backs and other Corporations Act regulated transactions;
• Ongoing advisory with respect to corporate governance matters, including cross-border shareholder and board meetings and documentation with respect to key company events, and employee and executive share ownership plans;
• Successful implementation of a series of cross-border transactions to demerge Essential from UMR in 2018, including ongoing post-completion transitional arrangements.