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• Castle Harlan and CHAMP sell off United Malt for $655m 06 Oct 2009. Source: AltAssets. New York private equity firm Castle Harlan and its Australian affiliate CHAMP Private Equity have sold United Grain Holdings, an international collection of four producers of malt for the brewing and distilling industries, to Australian bulk-grain handler GrainCorp. The deal is valued at $655m.

• Australian fund manager QIC restructures operations 10 Sep 2009. Source: AltAssets. QIC, an Australian wholesale fund manager, is restructuring its business by breaking up its operations into a number of investment boutiques.

• Macquarie Group considers purchase of Fox-Pitt Kelton Cochran Caronia Waller 21 Aug 2009. Source: AltAssets. Australian investment bank Macquarie Group is in talks about the purchase of Fox-Pitt Kelton Cochran Caronia Waller, a small investment bank partly owned by private equity firm JC Flowers, according to reports.

• TPG-owned department store considering IPO 05 Aug 2009. Source: AltAssets. Australia’s largest department store chain Myer Group, which is owned by buy-out giant TPG, may seek an initial public offering before the end of 2009, according to reports.

• Allco Equity Partners to return AUS$60m to shareholders 01 Jul 2009. Source: AltAssets. Shareholders in Australian private equity firm Allco Equity Partners have approved a capital return of AUS$60m ($48.4m) and a change of name to Oceania Capital Partners, news agency AAP reports.

• Blackstone hires new Asia Pacific exec 30 Jun 2009. Source: AltAssets. Blackstone Group has appointed a former Deutsche Asset Management executive as a managing director, responsible for overseeing the firm's fundraising in the Asia Pacific region.

• Harbert Australia Private Equity takes 18 per cent stake in Solar Shop Australia 26 May 2009. Source: AltAssets. Harbert Australia Private Equity, an Australian private equity firm which focuses on the lower-middle-market, has made its first investment from its Harbert Australian Private Equity Fund I, with an 18.1 per cent  equity interest in Solar Shop Australia. The transaction values the business at an enterprise value of AUS$50m.

• Macquarie appoints James Hooke as CEO of infrastructure arm 27 Apr 2009. James Hooke has been appointed CEO of Macquarie Infrastructure Company. He succeeds Peter Stokes who, after five years as CEO of MIC and 12 years in the New York office of the Macquarie Group, has decided to return to Australia.

• Australian government to provide AUS$83m for ailing start-up industry 19 Mar 2009. Source: AltAssets. The Australian government is to provide up to AUS$83m to early stage start-up companies in response to what it sees as a lack of funding due to the global financial crisis.

• Terra Firma to buy cattle ranch from Australian billionaire 13 Mar 2009. Source: AltAssets. Terra Firma, the UK buy-out firm headed by Guy Hands, will buy the Australian cattle ranches owned by Sydney-based billionaire James Packer in a deal worth around AUS$425m, according to the Financial Times.

• CHAMP Private Equity buys majority stake in Australian wealth advisory firm 03 Mar 2009. Source: AltAssets. CHAMP Private Equity, an Australian firm, has invested AUS$80m in Centric Wealth, an advisory firm, for a 75 per cent stake. Unlike a typical LBO, the transaction will both simplify and delever the balance sheet of the business, positioning it with financial support to execute its strategy, the firm said.

• Australian asset management firm Pinnacle sets up new private equity division, prepares to launch new fund 20 Jan 2009. Source: AltAssets. Australian asset management firm Pinnacle Investment Management has set up a new private equity firm Pinnacle Private Equity. The new division is to launch its debut fund with a target of AUS$300m.

• KKR appoints Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford as advisor for Australia 05 Jan 2009. Source: AltAssets. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has appointed Qantas Airways chairman Leigh Clifford as senior advisor. He has been brought in to help develop the firm's Australian division.

• CVC invests AUS$335m more in PBL Media 16 Dec 2008. Source: AltAssets. Private equity group CVC Asia Pacific has decided to invest a further AUS$335m ($224m) in its portfolio company PBL Media, according to reports. CVC is also to cancel $110m of excess undrawn facilities.

• Archer, HarbourVest to acquire Australian software business MYOB in $296m deal 12 Dec 2008. Source: AltAssets. The board of Australian software business MYOB has agreed to a buy-out by private equity firms Archer Capital and HarbourVest Partners. The deal is reported to be worth AUS$450m ($296m).

• John Brakey reportedly leaves Macquarie for KKR 11 Dec 2008. Source: AltAssets. Macquarie Funds Management's long-time head of private equity funds of funds John Brakey has left the firm to join the Australian office of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., according to reports.

• Hastings Private Equity team forms Mainridge Capital 01 Dec 2008. Source: AltAssets. Members of the Hastings Private Equity management team have formed a new private equity firm, Mainridge Capital. They will continue to manage the Hastings Private Equity Funds, HPEF I and HPEF II, and plan to raise a new, own fund of between AUS$250m and AUS$300m in size. A first closing on AUS$150m is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2009.

• CVC puts AUS$335m into ailing PBL Media 25 Nov 2008. Source: AltAssets. CVC Capital Partners has agreed to put AUS$335m ($217.5m) into ailing Australian media company PBL Media.

• Babcock & Brown reportedly looking to sell half its assets, cut half its staff 20 Nov 2008. Source: AltAssets. Australian private equity asset management firm Babcock & Brown is to sell around half of its assets and cut up to 60 per cent of its staff, according to various reports.

• Babcock & Brown sells €1.15bn of Portuguese wind assets to private equity consortium 17 Nov 2008. Source: AltAssets. Asset management firm Babcock & Brown, in conjunction with Babcock & Brown Wind Partners, has sold a portfolio of jointly owned wind farms in Portugal for approximately €1.15bn. The portfolio has been sold to a consortium of investors, led by private equity firm Magnum Capital, and consists of approximately 515 MW of operating wind farms and a futher 156 MW of wind farms under construction.

• Australian venture capital firm Starfish Ventures closes AUS$185m technology fund 13 Nov 2008. Source: AltAssets. Melbourne-based venture capital firm Starfish Ventures has closed its Starfish Technology Fund II on AUS$185m. The fund will invest in information and communication technology, life sciences and cleantech.

• Asciano rejects AUS$2.9bn bid from TPG, GIP 05 Aug 2008. Source: AltAssets. Australian infrastructure company Asciano has rejected a AUS$2.9bn proposal from private equity firms TPG Capital and Global Infrastructure Partners, the infrastructure-focused private equity firm backed by Credit Suisse and General Electric. The offer was for AUS$4.40 per share.

• Tasman Capital completes buy-out from Nikko Citi Holdings 04 Aug 2008. Source: AltAssets. Australia and New Zealand-focused mid-market private equity firm Tasman Capital Partners has been formed as the result of an MBO of the Nikko Principal Investments Australia business from Nikko Citi Holdings.