Finance

Acted for NAB as mandated lead arranger and underwriter (MLAU) of A$1bn senior facilities to fund Primary Health Care Limited's refinancing of its existing term debt with 29 lenders. Facilities were syndicated to 11 leading domestic and international banks.

Acted on a complex, multicurrency, cross-border issue of A$800m dollar equivalent of €500m term notes issued by SPAUSNET. The Eurobonds were issued in the European market, listed in Singapore, and included a Swiss franc tranche.

Acted for international bank syndicate on the $723m senior debt facility to Australia's largest hotel owner, Tourism Asset Holdings Limited (TAHL), and its subsidiaries.

Acted for TPG Telecom Limited in acquiring PIPE Networks Limited, a leading telecommunications company that owns the third-largest fibre optic network in Australia. The transaction values PIPE Networks at A$373m and creates a merged group worth just over A$1.7bn.

Acted for lead banks Credit Suisse, nabCapital, RBS, Calyon, and Deutsche Bank to provide the financing for Primary Health Care's A$3.56bn hostile acquisition of Symbion Health Limited, a multi-award winning transaction.

Acted for the winning consortium on the successfully closed Melbourne Convention Centre project, the largest proposed facility of this type in Australia with associated retail and commercial developments and public works. The A$1.2bn project includes a 5,000 seat convention centre, a five star hotel, office and residential tower, riverfront retail promenade and revitalised Maritime Museum.

To provide funding to the CSC Treasury Trust for on-lending to the ARIA Property Fund and PSS/CSS A Property Trust.

Acted on the restructuring of Elders Ltd group senior debt financing arrangements with syndicate lenders and US noteholders in conjunction of the sale of Elders' stake in Rural Bank Ltd to Bendigo & Adelaide Bank and the accession to the Elders Group of the Plexicor businesses.

Acting for Australian Unity on a listed retail, rated corporate bond issue for this complex health insurance, retiremement living and financial management corporate group, structured to meet the requirements of the new ASIC class order and involving a first time listing of securities by the issuer.

Acted for Affinity Equity Partners (advised and financed by Credit Suisse) on the A$450m leveraged buy out (public to private) of the Colorado Group.

Acted for NAB, as agent, and each of the lenders in the 24 member banking syndicate on the restructure of General Property Trust 's € 2.010bn corporate facility, which involved a relaxation of the total look though gearing covenant necessary as a precondition to GPT's A$1.6bn capital raising completed in October 2008.

Acted for Hertz Australia Pty Limited on a new securitisation program to refinance the existing securitisation of its Australia-based rental fleet. The complex cross-border transaction will need to overcome the challenge of securing the required rating.

Acted for the multinational syndicate of banks (including ANZ, Westpac, CBA and Japan's Mizuho Bank) to close a complex restructure and refinance of A$1.63bn facilities to the ING Industrial Fund, a listed Australian REIT with assets in Australia, Canada and Europe. The complex matter ran for over six months.

Advised an international syndicate of 12 lenders in relation to the provision of finance for a bid by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) to acquire, via a scheme of arrangement, ASX-listed Healthscope Limited. Minter Ellison advised the syndicate of lenders over a four week period in relation to the negotiation and preparation of commitment letters, fee letters, intercreditor terms and the senior syndicated facility agreement.

Acted for Hertz Australia on a new debt program to refinance the existing securitisation of its Australia-based rental fleet. The complex cross-border transaction overcame challenges to obtaining a high rating and tax issues.