Freehills is one of Australia's leading law firms, with particular expertise in major construction project development and delivery. Our team has been at the forefront of many of Australia's most significant projects—not just in terms of dollar value but also in commercial and legal complexity.

By drawing on the national capability of our team, we are able to provide clients with a dedicated and experienced team of legal advisers with a truly multidisciplinary approach. This includes:

• project structuring and project delivery
• risk analysis and management
• preparation of project documentation and contract negotiation
• transaction and project due diligence
• planning, environment and native title advice
• project financing
• dispute resolution and litigation advice when required.

The Freehills Construction team is able to provide clients with an integrated, full-service approach to legal advice on major construction in the diverse areas of commercial property projects, energy, resources and mining, heavy industries and manufacturing, transport, social infrastructure and public private partnerships (PPPs).

Our unrivalled experience in public private partnership projects demonstrates our significant construction expertise. Freehills has led the Australian market in the development of many ground breaking features introduced to public private partnership projects, advising clients on the design, construction and overall development of public private partnership projects in Australia. Our team has been acknowledged by various legal guides, such as the Asia Pacific Legal 500, as one of Australia’s leading firms in the field of construction law.

Examples of our recent experience include:

Transport

• Major rail projects – Construction on a number of major projects, including Wodonga Bypass Rail Project, Mildura Rail Project, Geelong Rail Access Improvement Project and stage one of the Dandenong Rail Project. Other projects that have commenced and indicate a continued project pipeline include the Northern Metropolitan Rail Project and stage two of the Dandenong Rail Project. These projects are not greenfield in nature and as a result provide complexities because of the existing operating environment and infrastructure that is in place.
• Main Roads of Western Australia – In the transport sector in Western Australia, Freehills has been a key adviser to Main Roads of Western Australia. We have recently advised on the design and construct alliance agreements for the following road projects—Perth to Bunbury Highway Project; Karratha Tom Price Stage 2 Road Project; Great Northern Highway, Muchea to Wubin and Reid Highway Upgrade.

Commercial property

• KENS office site, Sydney – Adviser to Leighton Properties on the development of the KENS office site in Sydney CBD.
• Woolloomooloo and Walsh Bay wharf redevelopments, Sydney – Adviser to the New South Wales Government on the redevelopment of the Woolloomooloo and Walsh Bay wharf precincts in Sydney.

Energy and power

• Portland, Clements Gap and Mt Mercer Wind Farms – We acted on multiple Australian wind farms for Pacific Hydro in the engineering, procurement and construction including Portland 190MW, Clements Gap 57MW and Mt Mercer 125MW.
• La Higuera, La Confluencia, Chacayes Hydro Power – Engineering, procurement and construction on the A$250 million La Higuera 155MW, A$350 million La Confluencia and Chacayes 106MW (similar size to La Confluencia) hydro power projects in Chile. Because of their proximity to the Andes mountains, numerous complex issues arose in the construction of these hydro and wind farm projects, including the technological and equipment supply, the tunnelling project, the road project and civil construction.

Heavy industries and manufacturing

• Port Waratah Coal Facilities, New South Wales – Adviser to Port Waratah Coal Services on the design, construction and supply contracts for a major expansion of Port Waratah Coal Services’ coal handling facility.
• Stanwell refinery – Advised Australian Magnesium Corporation Ltd in relation to their proposal to construct a A$1.4 billion magnesium refinery at Stanwell in Central Queensland

Social infrastructure

• Orange Hospital public private partnership –The project provided for the redevelopment of Orange Hospital and Associated Health Services via public private partnership incorporating the designing, building, financing and facilities management.
• Royal Children’s Hospital –Advised Bovis Lend Lease on all construction related issues for the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne project. This project involved advising in relation to subcontractor agreements, early works agreement, development agreements as well as all construction management agreements.
• Mindarie Regional Council – The project involved the construction and operation of a resource recovery facility for processing municipal solid waste and producing compost. It is the first public private partnership undertaken by a regional local government in Australia, and was underwritten by seven participating local governments.

The Australian construction and engineering sector has experienced significant growth in recent years, spurred on by strong economic conditions, significant capital expenditure by both public and private sectors and new approaches to the delivery of public infrastructure.

Furthermore, deal flow in major engineering and construction projects, particularly in non-residential construction, is expected to continue.

Freehills offers clients involved in engineering and construction projects a track record of providing innovative and commercially astute advice across a range of industries and legal issues.

Our team has advised clients on many of Australia’s largest and most complex engineering and construction projects, including all major toll road projects other major landmark infrastructure across Australia.

Awards

• Best Global Project 2007, for the Southbank Institute of TAFE PPP, Public Private Finance Awards 
• Commercial Property and Construction Deal of the Year 2007, for the Brisbane NSBT Project, ALB Awards 
• Commercial Property and Construction Deal of the Year 2006, for the Chatswood Transport Interchange, ALB Awards 

Legal guides

• Tier 1 Ranking, Projects, Chambers Global Guide (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)
• Tier 1 Ranking, Projects and Infrastructure, Asia Pacific Legal 500 (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005)

Testimonials

• ‘Freehills construction practice is praised by clients, highlighting the team’s “depth of expertise, commercialism and willingness to do whatever it takes to meet the client’s project delivery deadlines.”’ Chambers Global Guide 2009
• ‘“The energy and enthusiasm of the team” and its ability to provide “pragmatic advice based solidly on the clients’ requirements and the commercial situation.”’ Chambers Global Guide 2009
• ‘Jane Hodder is “a highly experienced construction lawyer with a very commercial approach.” Clients describe her as “excellent in all regards,” and consider her “a brilliant and consistently strong performer in the area.”’ Chambers Global Guide 2009
• ‘This multidisciplinary group “comfortably encompasses” construction, engineering, infrastructure, project finance, planning and environment expertise, giving clients access to “an impressive depth of knowledge”. Clients pointed to its “consistently excellent work” while also flagging up the team’s “responsiveness, reliability and forthright, practical approach”.’ 
  Chambers Global Guide 2008
• Jay Leary, John Copper, John Curtis, Jason Ricketts and David Templeman were each recognised by Best Lawyers International 2009 as outstanding lawyers in the fields of construction and infrastructure.