We are a market leader in the provision of comprehensive legal services to clients in the property sector in Australia and Asia. Our Property & Development group provides legal advice spanning the full breadth of property sector transactions, including:

• development projects
• major acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures
• property trusts, syndication, funds management and securitisation
• hotels, resorts and entertainment facility developments
• a wide range of leasing and property management services in the commercial, retail and industrial sectors.

Our success in advising clients on complex property matters is based on our in-depth knowledge of property, commercial and taxation law.

Many of Australia and Asia’s leading property development companies and property fund managers choose us for our understanding of the industry and our ability to provide innovative legal advice that maximises the commercial solutions they are looking for on property transactions.

Over the last decade, Australia has seen a significant increase in the size and complexity of large property development projects. These have included:

• significant office tower developments in major cities
• development of major sporting and entertainment complexes
• waterfront redevelopment projects
• mixed use, staged and planned community developments.

These projects usually involve long lead times, including planning and environment approval processes, competitive bidding for development rights and a complex array of legal arrangements between project sponsors, developers, financiers, contractors and end-use tenants and facilities managers.

Whether by way of site acquisition and development, public private partnership (PPP) or long-term lease arrangements, Freehills has been a market leader in advising property clients on these types of projects.

By leveraging the integrated approach we bring to these complex projects, we are able to offer legal advice to clients focused on commercially-sound risk management solutions and ‘bankable’ project documentation.

As a full service law firm, we are able to offer integrated legal advice covering all aspects of property projects – from formative planning and environmental approval stages to development, financing and ongoing management services.

We aim to become a strategic partner in our clients’ growth and development, and are proud of the many long-term client relationships that have resulted from this approach.