Project Finance
Asia-Pacific Guide 2024 : Australia
Band 1
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+61 2 9230 4000About
Provided by Allens
Allens has a construction and infrastructure group with unparalleled expertise, experience and resources. Industry leaders seek our expertise to guide them through the latest forms of project delivery and to represent them in the most complex disputes.
As well as legal and technical excellence, the Allens team understands the construction and engineering industry and the people in it. Our track record in working on some of the region’s largest and most complex infrastructure projects means that we appreciate and can anticipate parties’ objectives and requirements and deliver value-for-money outcomes.
We make it our business to know the political and environmental framework affecting our clients – to deliver accurate, innovative, commercial and cost-effective legal services. Importantly, we adopt a team approach, working collaboratively with other advisers and our clients’ in-house legal teams to ensure that each project is a success.
Governments, private owners, financiers, sponsors, contractors, suppliers, consultants and insurers have all sought our expertise in relation to some of the region’s largest construction and infrastructure projects and most complex disputes.
Allens lawyers appreciate the unique aspects of each transaction. We carefully balance legal requirements with a pragmatic approach and devise creative solutions that add real value to transactions.
Chambers Review
Allens is highly regarded for its adroit handling of major road, rail and air transportation projects together with an established track record in the resources arena. It has an outstanding reputation in respect of all aspects of project financing and PPPs, and counts major public entities and corporate and banking groups among its clients. Allens handles downstream construction mandates, acting for government corporations as well as contractors, and is active on both contentious and transactional matters. Key clients include Transport for NSW, Equinor and Multiplex.
Work Highlights
- Allens advised Transport for NSW on all construction aspects of the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace.
- Allens advised Exemplar Health Consortium, led by Capella Capital, on the financial close of a PPP to deliver a redevelopment project.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Allens have strong leadership and depth in personnel to ensure excellent support for each project. They always provide good service, support and responsiveness."
"Their team is well experienced at partner level and well supervised. The quality of the output is consistently high and the service levels are first-class."
"Allens are leaders in their field and have a high-performing team. They are very responsive and have good commercial awareness."
"Allens have strong leadership and depth in personnel to ensure excellent support for each project. They always provide good service, support and responsiveness."
"Their team is well experienced at partner level and well supervised. The quality of the output is consistently high and the service levels are first-class."
"Allens are leaders in their field and have a high-performing team. They are very responsive and have good commercial awareness."
Notable Practitioners
Phillip Cornwell remains a figure of great authority in the market, maintaining an active profile as a consultant in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He is based in Sydney and offers expertise based on his rich experience of advising on the financing of major infrastructure developments, not only in Australia, but also across the Asia-Pacific region.
Leighton O'Brien is based in Sydney and is known for his assured handling of landmark road construction and other infrastructure projects, advising not only on their procurement and delivery aspects, but also on the disputes which may arise from them.
"Leighton O'Brien is incredibly experienced and very good strategically with litigation."
"Leighton is one of the best construction partners who covers both front end and back end."
Michael Ryan is based in Melbourne, where he heads Allens' project finance practice. He stands out for his expertise in PPP financing and refinancing matters.
"Michael is very efficient, friendly and collegiate to work with."
David Donnelly is a highly versatile, Melbourne-based practitioner who advises on procurement, operational and delivery issues across such key sectors as public transport, healthcare and energy.
"David is a leader in this field."
Nicholas Adkins is a Sydney-based practitioner offering experience, acquired on a national basis, of a comprehensive range of financing transactions across a comparably broad spectrum of social, economic, digital and energy and resources infrastructure projects.
"Nick demystifies complex issues and is always available to discuss anything. He has a high commercial acumen."
Rob Watt is based in Sydney and maintains a diverse financing practice in the energy sector, advising on such matters as LNG and waste-to-energy projects. His wide-ranging experience covers transactions in Europe, the Middle East and the US, as well as in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
"Rob is super responsive, technically proficient and commercially astute. He provides a standout level of service."
Scott McCoy devotes much of his practice to advising lenders, borrowers and sponsors on the debt financing aspects of PPPs and other infrastructure projects, offering particularly focused expertise where renewable and new energy projects are concerned.
"Scott is brilliant and a delight to work with."
"Scott is smart and hard-working."
Nick Rudge focuses on design and construction matters in the infrastructure sphere, often providing support on dispute resolution mandates in the field.
"Nick is a calming influence. He is a very technical lawyer who knows the law inside out."