Overview
Freehills’ extensive experience in infrastructure development and acquisitions enables us to contribute to the success of our clients’ transactions within the European Union (EU). With extensive experience developed through working on a number of multi-jurisdictional transactions with a range of clients, we have successfully transferred our skills and experience to international markets, including the EU.
We support clients wishing to carry out business in the region through our international and Australian experience in conducting complex legal projects, which is backed up by our ‘home grown’ experience in infrastructure development. Our reputation for being an excellent provider of technical advice and project management skills is also an advantage to clients as local relationships are influenced by past performance.
We are experienced at partnering with and managing local counsel to ensure a seamless delivery of legal services and advice. In addition, we readily draw on our extensive pool of talent to dedicate staff to each project. If required, we can also locate team members on the ground to directly assist clients with a given transaction. Staff can access our ‘virtual office’ from any location at any time, and are supported by Australian-based expertise. Given the different time zones between countries in the EU and Australia, we can effectively provide clients with 24 hour service on a given transaction.
Josh Sgro, Partner, describes the infrastructure market across Europe as ‘developed’, while still offering clients outstanding opportunities to succeed commercially. ‘Our legal and project management advice based on our extensive experience in infrastructure development, acquisitions and associated financings is invaluable to clients who are involved in large-scale transactions across the EU.’
We are committed to the region and strongly positioned to provide assistance to Australian companies wishing to enter the European market and European companies wishing to invest in foreign markets in Australia, across Asia and globally.
Our key areas of practice across Europe include:
- projects and infrastructure
- energy & resources
- foreign investment
- mergers & acquisitions, and
- banking & finance.
Industry experience
A selection of our recent experience in Europe includes:
United Kingdom
Energy & Resources
- Orica – advising on the acquisition of a United Kingdom mining resources company
- CalEnergy – advising on the sale of a United Kingdom oil & gas company, and
- Development Australia Fund Management Limited (DAFML) – advising DAFML in its capacity as a major equity participant in the GBP£1.2 billion (A$3.1 billion) acquisition of the Wales and the West gas distribution network from National Grid Transco plc in the United Kingdom.
Infrastructure
- ERG – advising on its successful contracting for the Greater Manchester Public Transport concessionary fare scheme, including negotiation of the systems management agreement
- Hastings Funds Management Limited and Utilities Trust of Australia – advising in relation to the United Kingdom acquisition of Mid Kent Water, with an implied enterprise value of $581,500,000
- Lend Lease – advising in respect of the construction and development of 1.65 million square feet, GBP£500 million Bluewater regional shopping centre in Kent, United KingdomLend Lease – advising on its landmark agreement with the United Kingdom Government to regenerate London’s Greenwich Peninsula area
- Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group – advising on the financing of the acquisitions of Airwave and National Grid Wireless in the United Kingdom
- Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group – advising on its award winning $1 billion RAPIDSTM issue to fund the acquisition of NTL: Broadcast assets in the United Kingdom
- Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group – advising on the equity bridge financing in respect of its equity contribution to the GBP£1.27 billion acquisition by a consortium led by the Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group of the broadcast transmission equipment of NTL in the United Kingdom
- InfraAdvised QIC – advising on the acquisition of a majority share in a regional shopping centre at Milton Keynes, north of London.
- IFM – advising IFM in its capacity as a major equity participant in the GBP£2.2 billion consortium acquisition of AWG plc (United Kingdom), and
- IFM – advising IFM in its capacity as a major equity participant in the GBP£1.27 billion acquisition of ntl:Broadcast (one of two national UK broadcast transmission operators).
Other European Union (EU) countries
Energy & Resources
- Industry Funds Management (IFM) – advising in relation to the acquisition of a major equity interest in the ZEC Lodz power and heat plant.
Infrastructure
- Macquarie Bank and Credit Suisse – advising these companies as lenders to Macquarie Airports in connection with its approximate $1 billion acquisition of Copenhagen Airport
- Macquarie Bank, Credit Suisse and ABN AMRO – advising on a A$1,445,000,000 financing for the MIG Group in relation to a bid to acquire the Autoroutes Paris-Rhine-Rhône toll roads in France
- Macquarie Bank and others – advising on lending to MIG for an acquisition of a French toll road
- ERG Motorola consortium – advising on their contract for Rome’s public transport integrated ticketing project
- Commonwealth Bank of Australia – advising in relation to the joint venture between the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Laing Investments Limited in relation to investment in United Kingdom PFI hospitals and road concessions (including bridges and tunnels) in European countries
- Babcock & Brown and Babcock & Brown Infrastructure – advising in relation to a number of recent European port acquisitions by them, including PD Ports in the United Kingdom and ports in Spain, and
- Westpac – advising as provider of a cash facility to Index Ltd to fund the acquisition of businesses in the United Kingdom and Sweden.
