Mark Montes
Senior Legal Counsel, Adelaide
I have significant expertise in banking and finance, corporate and property law, as well as in corporate recovery and insolvency.

Within the finance area, I specialise in acquisition finance, bilateral and syndicated finance (both secured and unsecured) and related security arrangements. 

My clients include all four major Australian banks, Rural Bank Limited, and the insolvency and restructuring accounting firms Ferrier Hodgson, McGrathNicol, Heard Phillips and BRI Ferrier.

Career highlights

Finance

  • All four major Australian banks, Deutsche Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Limited – acted in relation to a syndicated facility agreement provided to Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia – handled a bilateral facility agreement with Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank and Westpac Banking Corporation – acted in relation to club finance facilities provided to Adelaide Brighton Limited
  • All four major Australian banks, Royal Bank of Canada, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank Limited – advised on numerous club, syndicated and bilateral finance facilities provided to ElectraNet, an electricity transmission line provider in South Australia
  • ABB Grain and Viterra Australia – acted in relation to syndicated facilities and note facilities entered into with numerous Australian and overseas banks and other financiers

Insolvency and reconstruction

  • All four major Australian banks, Rural Bank Limited, Bankwest – acted in relation to debt recovery matters, security enforcement and asset realisations, forbearance arrangements, debt and security assignments, and related matters
  • McGrathNicol – represented the client in its capacity as the receiver and manager in the Barossa Valley Estate winery receivership
  • Ferrier Hodgson – acted for the client in its capacity as the receiver and manager of the Boar’s Rock contract grape crushing and wine-processing business
  • National Australia Bank – helped assign its debt and securities from the Autodom car components group to General Motors Holden and Ford Australia carmakers
  • Heard Phillips – advised the client in its capacity as the receiver and manager of certain entities that own abalone fishing licences and quotas, and acted in the sale of these assets
  • Australian Vines Pty Ltd – helped the client, in its capacity as the operator of 10 vineyard managed investment schemes (MISs), to wind up the MISs, arrange a sale of the majority interest in the MIS assets, restructure asset ownership and pay out the secured creditor, BankSA

Other

  • Advised and acted for insolvency practitioners, companies and private individuals in relation to company liquidations, voluntary administrations, deeds of company arrangement, personal bankruptcy, preference claims and related matters