Minter Ellison provided on the ground and location-specific support to a syndicate of banks for the recent $700 million multi-currency refinancing of Sonic Healthcare, one of the world’s largest medical diagnostics groups and a top 100 ASX-listed company. Lawyers from the firm’s offices in Sydney, London, Hong Kong and Auckland worked with the syndicate, which included ANZ, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Citibank and National Australia Bank.

Minter Ellison’s international team on the transaction was led by Sydney-based partner Daniel Marks and included Roger Corkery, Rhiannon Chisholm, Renae Suttor and Matt Wilson (Sydney); Nigel Clark and Sally Bell (London); Lis Ellis and Kelvin Ng (Hong Kong), and Kate Lane, Andrew Ryan and Anna Campbell (Auckland).

Clayton Utz won the role of principal legal advisor to the Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA) on the development phase of the $3.8 billion Mitcham to Frankston Project in Victoria. The firm was appointed for five years, after a competitive bid process. CU was joint legal adviser during the project’s tender phase. Partners Brad Vann, Marko Misko and Doug Jones are the firm’s lead lawyers advising SEITA, the Victorian government body responsible for delivering the project, which is set to be one of Australia’s largest urban freeways. The MFF involves construction of a 40 kilometre link between Mitcham and Frankston, twin 1.5 kilometre tunnels, a link to the Ringwood Bypass, 16 interchanges and over 90 bridges. The project is scheduled for completion in 2008.