Baker & McKenzie and Minter Ellison have advised on the Transfield contract to transform Sydney ferries for $800 million.

Bakers has advised Harbour City Ferries, and its two joint venture partners, Veolia Transport and Transfield Services, on their bid for the contracting out of the operation of the Sydney Ferries business. 

The Baker & McKenzie team was led by partner David Egan and associate Julien Hamon.

The NSW government announced the process of privatising Sydney Ferries in early 2011. Transfield and Veolia plan to start operating the services before the end of this year

Minter Ellison acted for the Department of Transport, lead by Minter Ellison finance partner Paul Paxton, with partners Gareth Jolly, Stewart Nankervis, Jacinda De Witts, Duncan McGregor, Virginia Briggs, and senior associates Jose de Ponte and Clare Williams.

In 2011, the Government invited registrations of interest, with prequalified bidders then participating in an RFT process to choose the successful operator to provide the ferry services.

A cross-disciplinary Minter Ellison team advised the Government on this project.

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The Minters team's involvement included drafting service contracts, advising on the tender process, extensive due diligence, evaluation of and negotiation with three private sector consortia and, ultimately, completion of the transaction with the preferred tenderer and transition from Sydney ferries to the new private sector operator.

The seven year contract was announced last week, and Veolia Transdev Australia chief executive Jonathan Metcalfe told media the transformation was ready to begin.