Freehills partner Robert Nicholson said high yield securities are a common form of finance in the US markets. In Australia, the high yield fund is much thinner, he said, but Hastings has developed a specialty in the area through unlisted funds that have operated for five years, and have now offered the same concept to the public market for the first time in Australia. The Freehills team included Michael Ziegelaar, Amy Goble and Anand Sundaraj.

The project finance group at Clayton Utz has been appointed to advise the NSW Government in relation to the Kooragang Island coal loader terminal project in Newcastle. Partner John Shirbin said providing ongoing advice on the project would form a large part of the group’s workload for 2005.

The proposed site of the new coal loader is immediately west of the present Port Waratah coal loader on Kooragang Island. Shirbin said several of the consortiums bidding for the project included companies with coal mining operations in the region.

Also, Clayton Utz partners David Cowling and David Landy will work with voluntary administrators Grant Thornton on the insolvency of Stanley Thompson Valuers Pty Ltd.

Perth-based law firm Stables Scott prepared reports on the mining tenements that were relevant to Murchison Metals for the company’s prospectus, in the lead up to its recent listing on the Australian Stock Exchange. The team had to take into account various agreements between Murchison Metals and other companies in relation to the mining tenements along with native title and heritage considerations. Murchison Metals raised $6 million ahead of its listing.

VIEW ALL