Working in Projects
Freehills’ Projects team advises clients in Australia, Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and throughout the world. The team aims to develop solicitors who are commercially focused and experienced in a broad range of legal aspects relevant to project related work. There are many opportunities for solicitors in Projects to work internationally, particularly in Asia.
Construction, infrastructure and engineering
We assist public and private sector clients involved in a range of large-scale projects, including toll roads, power stations, mines, water treatment plants, hotels and industrial, commercial and residential property developments. The Projects team has particular expertise in public private partnerships, which involve partnering between government and private sector entities.
Typical services we provide include:
- assessing the legal allocation of project risks and assisting clients to manage those risks
- structuring of projects
- negotiating and drafting contracts which govern the relationships between project stakeholders, and
- interpreting contractual terms and advising on parties’ contractual rights.
Environment and planning
We assist public and private sector clients to maintain compliance with environmental and planning laws, minimise exposure to environment-based risk (for example, contaminated land), and maximise opportunities to benefit from environmental initiatives (for example, claiming appropriate credits for greenhouse gas abating activities).
Typical services we provide include:
- advising on compliance with environmental and planning laws
- assisting clients to minimise exposure to the costs of remediating contaminated land
- assisting clients to obtain eligibility for environmental credits
- assisting clients to obtain environmental and planning approvals, and
- representing clients in proceedings in specialist courts and tribunals.
Property development
We assist property developers, institutional owners, trustees and managers in relation to the acquisition, disposal, development and leasing of major commercial, retail, industrial and hotel property throughout Australia.
Typical services we provide include:
- providing structuring advice on a wide range of transactions including community developments, major property leases, acquisition and ownership structures, management agreements and complex title issues
- negotiating and drafting the contracts which govern the relationships between the various stakeholders in a commercial property transaction, such as contracts for sale, agreements for lease and leases, development agreements and development management agreements, and
- interpreting contractual terms and advising on parties’ contractual rights.