Overview
Freehills acts for a range of financial institutions, including retail and investment banks, in non-asset based structured financing providing tax efficient techniques for raising funds. These involve highly complex products and structures under which banks borrow from and lend to each other. We have acted for Australian and offshore banks involving various jurisdictions such as UK, US and France.
We also have extensive experience representing equity providers, end-users, sponsors, owners, arrangers, debt providers, defeasance institutions and others participants in a wide range of structured finance transactions, including:
- domestic and cross-border leasing
- finance /capital and operating leases
- non-asset-based structured products
- capital efficiency driven solutions
- structured property financings
- structured repo transactions
- hybrid, mezzanine and subordinated debt instruments.
With the increasing demand for aircraft, shipping and rail assets, we have seen a dramatic increase in asset finance transactions within the Australian market. Freehills has been at the forefront of this market in Australia for many years. We have initiated and been actively involved in the development of cross-border leasing in Australia.
We advise clients across a range of asset groups including aircraft, ships and rolling stock.
Experience
Our recent experience includes:
- Virgin Blue - Acted for Virgin Blue on the debt financing for the acquisition of 21 aircraft and the debt financing for pre-delivery payments for six aircraft.
- Keybridge Capital - Acted for Keybridge Capital in the asset financing, leasing and residual value investment for more than 20 vessels (including several tweendeckers) for operation in the dry-bulk sector.
- Fortescue Metals Group - Acted for ANZ on a structured lease financing of mobile mining equipment for Fortescue Metals Group.
- Leighton Holdings - Acted for Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Royal Bank of Scotland in the $750 million fully underwritten revolving operating lease facility for Leighton Holdings.
- Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal - Acted for Babcock & Brown in relation to the $630 million (senior) and $150 million (mezzanine) financings for the acquisition of the Dalrymple Bay coal terminal long term leases from the Queensland Government.
- Toll Transport - Acted for CBA in its $160m operating lease financing of two roll-on, roll-off ferries for Toll Transport.
- Qantas and Jetstar - Acted for Westpac, Suncorp and ANZ respectively in separate aircraft financings or refinancings for Qantas and Jetstar with an aggregate deal size of $500 million.
Working with you
The Freehills Structured Finance team is experienced in structured, tax-effective and lease financings for a wide range of asset classes.
Our team works closely with our tax experts. Combined they have the expertise to work with you to develop tailored solutions to meet your tax requirements across income tax, stamp duty and goods and services tax.
