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Wissam Abwi
Partner, Sydney
Wissam Abwi is a corporate / M&A partner based in Sydney. Wissam's practice has a specialist focus on the real estate industry.

In particular, he specialises in advising on investments in real assets (such as real estate, agribusiness and infrastructure) through the establishment of incorporated and unincorporated joint ventures, consortia, capital partnerships and strategic platforms, pooled vehicles and wholesale funds with a real asset focused investment mandate as well as on the acquisition, disposal and restructuring of real assets held through corporate or trust vehicles (including undertaking due diligence).

Wissam has advised and implemented cross border transactions for foreign clients investing in the Australian real asset market, which is experiencing strong demand from both domestic and foreign investors. In particular, he has strong experience in advising foreign clients on partnering with local managers and on any foreign investment approval or foreign registration required.

Wissam advises listed property trusts, real estate funds, sovereign wealth and pension funds, real asset institutional investors, real estate advisory groups and major real estate owners, developers and operators such as Dexus, Mirvac, Investa, Ping An Real Estate, Wee Hur Group,Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Mercer Investments, Pamoja Capital, Commercial & General, Cushman & Wakefield, Bain Capital, Only About Children, Metrics Partners and Arrow Partners.

Career highlights

  • Advising in relation to a sale by a fund owned by the Wee Hur group and GIC of its A$1.6 billion purpose-built student accommodation portfolio to consortium managed by Greystar Australia and equity reinvestment by a subsidiary of SGX listed Wee Hur Holdings Ltd. into the Greystar Australia consortium. We had initially advised the Wee Hur group on the proposed sell down of a 49.9% stake in the PBSA portfolio to GIC.
  • Advised Dexus on various major transactions and investments including:
    • its acquisition of a majority ownership interest in Atlassian’s $1.8 billion new headquarters in Sydney and the joint venture arrangements with Atlassian. The development anchors the State Government-led Tech Central precinct, adjacent to the Central Place Sydney development; and
    • the acquisition of 80 Collins St, Melbourne (comprising a stabilised office tower and a second tower under development as office, retail and hotel) from QIC for A$1.5 billion;
    • various investments into living sector developments through the DREP Funds, in particular, the on the acquisition of 41 George Street, Brisbane for the purposes of development as a $500 million purpose-built student accommodation facility housing 1,200 beds; and
    • the disposal of office assets such as 1 Margaret Street, Sydney and 309-321 Kent Street, Sydney.
  • Advised Washington State Investment Board on the A$2 billion sale of the Urbanest Australia business and its portfolio of 14 student accommodation assets to Scape Australia. The Urbanest portfolio comprises 6805 beds across purpose built student accommodation facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
  • Advised Mirvac Group in relation to various transactions:
    • joint venture with Mitsui Fudosan in relation to the development of properties located in Cobbitty, Mulgoa East and Mulgoa West, New South Wales as two master-planned communities known as 'Cobbitty by Mirvac' and 'Mulgoa by Mirvac' value at over $1 billion;
    • joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation in relation to the development of the property located at 55 Coonara Avenue, West Pennant Hills as a master-planned community known as 'Highforest by Mirvac' valued at over $700 million; and
    • the sell down of a $1 billion master planned community development in Smiths Lane in south-east Melbourne to Supalai (Thai development company) and the establishment of an unincorporated joint venture with Supalai in relation to the development
  • Acting for Ping An Real Estate on the establishment of a joint venture with Lendlease and Mitsubishi Estate Asia and the acquisition of a 50% interest in $2 billion Salesforce Tower, consisting of a premium-grade office tower and public facilities.
  • Advised Mercer on the acquisition of a significant interest in a fund alongside Home Consortium in relation to the $1 billion Healthscope health property portfolio.
  • Advised Investa Property Group on the sale of its interest in the premium A-grade commercial office tower located at 135 King Street, Sydney in the heart of the Pitt Street Mall precinct to Daibiru for approximately $608 million.
  • Acting for US-based global asset manager Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) on the acquisitions of substantial interests in prime A Grade commercial properties in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria valued over $800 million and the establishment of a strategic joint venture with the Mirvac Group with a core office mandate (including a $450 million shopping centre in the Melbourne CBD, a $150 million office development asset at 699 Bourke Street, Melbourne, a $400 million shopping centre at Mt Ommaney, Brisbane and a $600 million office asset at 101-103 Miller Street, North Sydney).

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