Ashurst‘s full-service projects team, spread across the firm’s Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth and Brisbane offices, has a strong reputation in the market for project finance work across a project’s entire life cycle. The group assists clients with large nationwide projects such as Australia’s largest public transport works, Sydney Metro, as well as significant international projects. The cross-practice group includes cross-border financing expert Chris Redden, resource project authority David Mason, financial products expert Gaelan Cooney in Perth, and power development authority Chris Skordas in Melbourne. At associate level, Douglas Fung in Sydney is a key name to note. Former practice head Simon Irvine left the firm in June 2022 to join Johnson Winter Slattery.

Allens' project finance team handles matters for both borrowers and lenders throughout the whole of the project’s life cycle. Melbourne-based group head Michael Ryan  - praised for his ‘knowledge of how both lenders and sponsors approach project finance’ - regularly advises on large domestic PPP projects, including the redevelopment and expansion project at Melbourne’s Frankston Hospital. Rob Watt in Sydney is particularly engaged in the energy and resources sectors, drawing on the firm's wider expertise in the area. Also based in Sydney, Scott McCoy advises widely on renewables, battery storage, and social infrastructure matters.

Entrusted by all four of the major Australian trading banks, the group at Gilbert + Tobin routinely advises blue-chip clients on a host of high-value, complex transactions. Jointly spearheading the practice are John Schembri and Alexander Danne, based in Sydney and Melbourne respectively. The pair are well supported at partner level by Adela Smith in Sydney, referred to by one client as ‘one of the best banking and finance lawyers in the market’ who displays an ‘in-depth understanding of the issues‘, and by Sydney-based Peter Doyle who specialises in infrastructure finance. Also based in Sydney, the 'very experienced, accessible, and tough' Simon Lynch is also recommended.

Fielding practitioners  across Queensland and New South Wales, Herbert Smith Freehills is regularly involved in projects across a variety of sectors such as renewable energy, logistics, social infrastructure and telecommunications. The team advises a varied client base made up of banks, investors, and government bodies on large infrastructure projects, often with a strong cross-border aspect. The cross-disciplinary group is jointly led by Toby Anderson, who heads up of the project’s practice; Erin Wakelin, head of the project finance desk; and contentious specialist Geoff Hansen, who also serves as head of construction and infrastructure disputes offering.  Other key names to note include Sydney-based partner Andrew Griffiths, a specialist in transport and infrastructure matters who counts various project sponsors and contractors among his clients.

King & Wood Mallesons‘ large team acts for a myriad of high-profile public and private sector clients on a host of prominent projects and financing matters. Brisbane-based managing partner Craig Rogers co-chairs the team alongside the Sydney-based Claire Rogers, who also heads up the firm’s climate and ESG practice. Other key figures to note include the Melbourne-based Catherine Danne – promoted to partner in July 2021 – who has a broad sector knowledge, encompassing economic infrastructure and real estate work. The Sydney-based Rebecca Finklestein is recommended for her expertise in public private partnerships (PPPs), while Tim Ma, who works in Melbourne, is noted for his banking and finance acumen. Experienced project finance lawyer Jeff Clark works on a range of acquisition, development and financing mandates. At the associate level, Sydney-based Amy Maguire has experience of working on a number of significant infrastructure projects and privatisations. Jo Crew joined the Melbourne team from Norton Rose Fulbright in July 2022.

Drawing on the firm's strong global network, Allen & Overy LLP regularly collaborates across multiple offices on complex, cross-border projects in the infrastructure, energy and resources sectors. Peter Wilkes, who heads up the group from the firm’s Perth office, principally focuses on debt and equity financing, especially in the realm of energy and resources. Also based in Perth, Goran Galic is a key name to note for mining, oil, and gas matters. Adam Stapledon, James Abbott and Simon Huxley left the firm in early 2022.

Led by Alexander Schlosser out of Melbourne, Clayton Utz's group utilises its ‘strong depth of knowledge' to advise on a range of infrastructure projects, acting for public and private sector players alike on high-profile ventures. A standout recent highlight for the team was advising the State of Victoria on all aspects of the procurement and development for the NELP (The North East Link Program), a project in which bankability was procured during a time of intense market activity against the backdrop of Covid-19. Dan Fitts plays a central role in many of the firm's standout engagements, including a number of privately financed projects. Elsewhere, Peter Staciwa possesses particularly deep experience in the renewables, LNG, water, and transport sectors.

Baker McKenzie‘s workload includes a regular stream of major construction, infrastructure, energy, transport, and social infrastructure projects. Melbourne-based Matt Coleman joined the team from Minter Ellison in August 2021, bringing with him many years’ of experience in infrastructure, construction and major projects and, in particular, strengthening the front-end construction expertise within the team. The group is co-led by a quartet working across the firm’s Melbourne and Sydney offices, comprising Leigh Duthie, Sean Duffy, Charlie Detmold, and David Cooper – all of whom have a track record of working with clients in the construction industry.

Traditionally strong on the borrower side, Pinsent Masons LLP's increasingly diverse client roster includes a number of lenders, who are involved in projects across the construction and infrastructure arenas. The team is helmed by the Sydney-based Jim Hunwick, an experienced banking and finance lawyer who specialises in debt finance transactions. Another key member of the multidisciplinary team is the Melbourne-based Jeremy King, another experienced banking and finance lawyer who has a strong track record of advising on large-scale financing transactions.