Herbert Smith Freehills celebrates as major infrastructure transactions recognised

Herbert Smith Freehills’ market-leading infrastructure work has been recognised with three industry awards in the IJ Global Awards 2018, which celebrate significant and market-leading infrastructure transactions.

The firm is proud to have worked on three award-winning transactions:

M&A Deal of the Year – Acquisition of Chevron's Indonesian Geothermal Assets

Herbert Smith Freehills acted as lead counsel advising Chevron Corporation on its disposal of its geothermal and other power related assets in Indonesia and the Philippines. The deal involved an auction sale process of Darajat and Salak geothermal fields in West Java, Indonesia and Chevron's interest in Tiwi and Mak-Ban projects on South Luzon, Philippines. This was one of the largest and most complex power deals of 2016/2017, with the sale involving one of the largest geothermal asset portfolios globally.

Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year – New Grafton Correctional Centre PPP

Herbert Smith Freehills advised the financiers of the Northern Pathways consortium in relation to the cutting edge design, construction and maintenance for the New Grafton Correctional Centre public-private partnership (PPP) project in NSW.

Once completed, the new correctional centre will be the largest facility of its type in Australia and accommodate 1,700 inmates, providing state-of-the-art security and rehabilitation services for inmates.

The facility will inject more than A$560 million into the local economy, with 1,100 jobs created during its construction and about 600 permanent jobs once operational. Construction is expected to be completed in 2020.

Transport Deal of the Year – Melbourne Metro Tunnel & Stations PPP

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised the Victorian Government’s Melbourne Metro Rail Authority on the A$11 billion Metro Tunnel public-private partnership (PPP) project.

The project is the biggest public transport project in Victoria’s history and the largest enhancement to Melbourne’s CBD rail network since the construction of the City Loop over 30 years ago.

The project will deliver two nine kilometre long tunnels under the Melbourne CBD and five new underground stations – North Melbourne, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac stations.

Global Head of Finance, Real Estate and Projects, Jason Ricketts, said the awards demonstrated the firm’s depth of infrastructure expertise across industries

“These awards show that Herbert Smith Freehills is acting for clients involved in some of the country’s – and indeed the world’s most significant infrastructure projects,” Mr Ricketts said.

“Our firm has a proud history of involvement in market-leading infrastructure transactions, and we are thrilled these projects have been recognised.”

“We are the preeminent firm for projects across the Asia Pacific region, with the expertise and experience to advise on the most significant transactions in the market.”

Herbert Smith Freehills is a leading global infrastructure practice (including projects, project finance, energy, resources and transport) of almost 60 partners in the Asia Pacific region alone, supported by approximately 130 infrastructure practicing associates.