Thomson Geer assisted New York Stock Exchange listed multinational engineering, energy and infrastructure company Quanta Services Inc. (Market Cap of USD5.8billion). Quanta operates in Australia through its Australian subsidiaries in the renewable energy industry. As a consequence of financial problems being experienced by its JV partners and counterparties – a number of projects have come under significant financial stress in the last 12 months. One of these matters is the GE/Catcon Wind Farm matter.
Quanta was contracting in JV or as a contractor to various GE led windfarm projects including Silverton (NSW), Willogoleche (SA), Bodangora (NSW), Coopers Gap (Qld) and Emerald Hill (Qld). Catcon experienced severe cash flow problems in late 2018 which in turn lead to Quanta being at risk for in the order of $60 million in unpaid contractual entitlements across the portfolio of projects. Through a series of rapid, multi-jurisdictional actions (including charges under the Queensland Subcontractors Act, South Australian Supreme Court injunctions, various actions under different security of payment regimes as well as restructuring the various contractual arrangements with Catcon and GE), Thomson Geer was able to secure payment on behalf of Quanta for practically all outstanding amounts by 30 June 2019. Key people included Josh Marchant, Michael Barrett, Ben Thrift and Katie Ashby-Koppens in Melbourne, Andrew Kelly in Queensland and Geoff Brennan in Adelaide