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Virginia Briggs
Partner, Infrastructure, Construction & Property Leader
I am an experienced advisor to the Australian property, development and infrastructure markets working closely with a number of private and government clients on large-scale complex real estate transactions spanning the development, sale, purchase and leasing of commercial, industrial, residential and retail developments and infrastructure assets. I lead MinterEllison's Infrastructure, Construction and Property line of business.
  • +61 2 9921 8750
  • +61 412 868 112

In addition to my client work I am passionately involved in the Property Council of Australia (PCA) including as a member of the PCA's National Board. I am also a Board member of the Committee for Sydney (CfS).

I am a passionate lawyer and proud of the contribution I have made to the Australian property sector. My clients engage me not only for my strategic approach, but also for my hands on management of matters and solutions driven focus. 

Career highlights

  • Acting for Land and Housing Corporation on the new NSW Social Housing PPP at Ivanhoe. This project (approximately $500 million) involves the renewal and revitalisation of a social housing estate. As principal legal Advisor to the NSW government on this first project of its kind in NSW, this is one of the most innovative social projects to be delivered in NSW to date.
  • Advised extensively on both property and transactional aspects of the refinancing of Ports Botany, Kembla and Newcastle, including advising on the transaction structure, conducting the initial property due diligence for the scoping study, drafting the 99 year concurrent leases, drafting Maritime Facilities Deeds and Channel User Licences (and associated easements) with Roads and Maritime Services, advising on road and rail interface issues, transferring various parcels of land into correct entities to ensure consistency of tenure, assisting in the development of bespoken transactions legislation, drafting vesting orders and subleases and advising on property separation issues (including retention of property for essential services).
  • Advising UrbanGrowth NSW on the urban renewal of The Bays Precinct in general and White Bay Power Station in particular, including sitting on the Tender Evaluation Panel, advising on the expression of interest and tender processes and drafting various transaction documents including sales contracts, ground leases and development agreements.
  • Advising Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) in the development and sale of two englobo north-facing waterfront sites at Wentworth Point, Sydney. My involvement in the matter has included negotiating and completing the sale of a significant piece of land to the Department of Education, negotiating a complex Project Delivery Agreement with UrbanGrowth NSW, managing the surrender of various third party leases, preparing Expressions of Interest and Invitation to Tender documentation and advising on the delivery of key infrastructure.
  • Advising Dexus on the acquisition of a 50% interest in the MLC Centre, from QIC for $722.6 million.
  • Advising AMP Capital on the strategic acquisition and disposal of a number of commercial and industrial properties including a AVELS 6 asset industrial portfolio valued at $250 million.
  • Advising Brookfield in relation to the sale of its leasehold interest in 1 Shelley Street Sydney, which includes the Macquarie Group headquarters building and public car parking at the King Street Wharf precinct, for $525 million, to Charter Hall. This represents one of the largest single property deals in Sydney.

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