Australia

About

Our experience at White & Case advising on Australian matters spans decades. We have an extensive track record representing clients on cross-border business involving Australia, both inbound and outbound, and regularly advise on foreign direct investments into Australia. We advise participants in the region primarily on infrastructure development, M&A/corporate, project finance, planning and environment, bank finance, dispute resolution, trade, securities and high-yield matters.

In the Australian and Asia Pacific region our partners and associates advise clients throughout the full lifecycle of their business and assets across the Infrastructure, transportation, Power (including renewable energy) and Mining & Metals sectors. Many of our Australian clients invest and do business across Asia-Pacific and the world, so they need a team of lawyers who work closely together to bring global knowledge to bear on their legal matters.

Our Australian project development and finance team is well-recognised for its breadth of experience and industry knowledge. The team has advised both public and private sector clients, including project sponsors and lenders, across a vast range of industry groups, delivering flexible and innovative financing solutions that give our clients the edge in today's changing marketplace. We have particular expertise on-the-ground in Australia working with sponsors and lenders on complex, multisourced projects to successfully develop "bankable" structures.

The environmental and planning group works closely with clients to develop an approvals strategy that considers all land access and regulatory approvals issues and is fit-for-purpose and robust in the face of typically strong regulatory scrutiny and coordinated community opposition.

We have a leading claims management and dispute resolution team specialising in the strategic management of claims as well as more formal dispute resolution mechanisms such as international and domestic arbitration, expert determination and litigation.

Our Australian M&A experience spans a range of sectors and transaction structures (from public company acquisitions through to asset sales, joint ventures and other structures) and includes some of the most strategic, high profile deals in the market. Our sector expertise ensures clients get the benefit of market leading M&A expertise with a comprehensive understanding of what is "market" and the various ways in which risks can be managed/apportioned in transaction documents.

The Antitrust team advises domestic and international clients in the Energy, Infrastructure, pharmaceutical, financial services, Technology, manufacturing, Consumer Products and Aviation sectors on all aspects of antitrust, consumer law and the regulation of essential services. The team have a depth of experience advising on the strategy and clearance of domestic and cross-border M&A, with a particular focus on multi-jurisdictional matters, as well as joint ventures and other collaborative arrangements within the bounds of antitrust laws, anti-competitive conduct, investigations and matters of compliance.

The debt finance practice advises lenders, borrowers and sponsors on international and domestic leveraged, acquisition, syndicated, infrastructure and general finance transactions, both senior and subordinated. The team has particular experience acting on cross-border leveraged finance transactions utilising structures such as US-style term loan Bs, unitranche loans, super senior revolving facilities, high-yield notes and asset backed loans, as well as more traditional bank facilities. The teams' private credit experience also extends to advising clients, providing capital solutions to stressed credits, whether in the form of 'new money' liquidity facilities, as part of a balance sheet restructuring and/or in relation to a liability management exercise (including coercive debt exchanges).

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AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Project Finance & Development Law Firm of the Year
Best Lawyers Australia 2021

Tier 1 in Project Development
Tier 1 in Project Finance
The Legal 500 Australia 2022

"Provides good solutions that address both legal and commercial concerns."
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2021

Experience

Hornsdale Power Reserve  
Advised Neoen on its joint development with Tesla of the world’s largest lithium ion battery in South Australia.

Bulgana Green Power Hub  
Advised Neoen on the development and financing of the Bulgana Green Power Hub, a 194 MW wind farm and a 20 MW battery storage facility, near Stawell in Victoria.

Westgate Tunnel
Advised Transurban Limited on all aspects of Transurban’s Market-Led Proposal to the Victorian Government to build the AUD 6.7 billion West Gate Tunnel Project.

Melbourne Metro
Advised the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority in relation to the AUD 11 billion Metro Tunnel Project

Star of the South
Represented Offshore Energy Pty Ltd on its development of Australia’s first offshore wind project.

Lincoln Gap Wind Farm
Represented Nexif Energy on the development and senior and structurally subordinated project financing for the expansion of Lincoln Gap Wind Farm in South Australia.

NSW Ports
Represented NSW Ports on its refinancing of AUD 450 million of commercial debt.