Erin Wakelin
Erin is a project finance specialist with experience in a broad range of transactions.
Erin has extensive experience in project and infrastructure finance matters, including public private partnerships. Erin also advises in relation to the financing for the acquisition of infrastructure assets.
Transactions in which Erin has been involved include the financing of projects, assets and acquisitions in sectors such as transport, healthcare, natural resources, social infrastructure, prisons and energy. She has advised clients in Australia, Japan, Canada, Europe, Singapore, USA, Chile and the United Kingdom.
Erin is recommended in Asia Pacific Legal 500 – 2012 as ‘first choice for project finance’, has been voted by peers as one of Australia's Best Lawyers in The Best Lawyers in Australia for her work in Banking and Finance Law, Construction/Infrastructure Law, Project Finance and Development Practice, Energy Law, Derivatives and Financial Institutions (2012 - 2023), and is named as a leading individual in the Legal 500.
In Chambers Asia-Pacific 2016, Erin is described as "very commercially focused," with client comments including: "Impressive is not a strong enough word for Erin, she is a valued adviser to me and a talented team leader." In Asia Pacific Legal 500 2017 Erin was named a leading individual for Project Finance (Australia) with the comment that she has the ‘ability to manage a huge amount of work while maintaining a calm approach’. In the Legal 500 2018, Erin is named as a leading individual with the comment that Erin is ‘one of the best – very commercial in her approach and always available to provide urgent advice’. Chambers Asia-Pacific 2019 included the following: “She wins praise for her ability to bring different parties together, one client commenting: "She's been excellent. She has the ability to set a process in train and get people to come along with it." Another client affirms: "She's very commercial and particularly in multiparty, multi-issue transactions she's able to not only assist her direct clients, but also plays a leading part in bringing all of the parties together to find a consensus solution."”
Background
Erin holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland. She joined Freehills in 2003 and became a partner in January 2005.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- The Project Company in relation to ongoing aspects of the A$2.5 billion Sydney Light Rail PPP Project including the 2019 restructure of the Project Documents and amendments to the Finance Documents to accommodate a staged completion
- The lenders to Macquarie Group Limited of £2 billion loan facilities, including two green loan tranches. This was the first ‘green loan’ (being a loan under the APLMA Green Loan Principles) issued in Australia and the first green loan with a financial institution as borrower
- funds managed by Brookfield and its institutional co-investors, through a joint venture with Qube Holdings, on the acquisition financing for Asciano Limited’s Patricks Terminals business for approximately A$2.9 billion by way of scheme of arrangement
- The successful consortium on the A$5.5 billion limited recourse financing package for its A$10.258 billion acquisition of the TransGrid high voltage electricity transmission network from the NSW Government, and for TransGrid in relation to its $4.21 billion refinancing, its 2017 US Private Placement, and its ongoing financing arrangements
- Successful consortia in relation to the Regional Rail PPP Project (NSW), the New Grafton Correctional Centre PPP Project (NSW), Capital Metro Project (ACT), the New Schools PPP (Vic), East West Link Project (Vic), the New Bendigo Hospital Project (Vic), the NSW Sydney International Convention Centre PPP (NSW), the New Royal Adelaide Hospital PPP Project (SA), the Long Bay Prison and Forensic Hospitals Project (NSW) and the Orange and Associated Health Services PPP (NSW)
- The sponsors on the financing for a large upgrade and life extension project for an Australian LNG project
- The lenders including EFA and NAIF in relation to a confidential critical minerals project in Australia
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) and Export Finance Australia (as lender of record) in relation to loans made to governments and private sector entities for projects in the Pacific and Timor-Leste
- Ampol Limited on the debt facilities for the acquisition by Scheme of Arrangement of Z Energy, a publicly listed company on the Australian and NZ stock exchanges
- Brookfield, SunSuper, AIMCO, IMCO and HOOPP on the debt facilities for the A$17 billion acquisition of AusNet Services Limited which owns and operates an electricity distribution and gas distribution network in Victoria and the state-wide electricity transmission network in Victoria
- The Sydney Aviation Alliance (SAA) — the Australian-led consortium comprising IFM Australian Infrastructure Fund, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, IFM Global Infrastructure Fund and Global Infrastructure Partners — on the financing aspects of its $32 billion acquisition of the Sydney Airport. This was the largest cash takeover in Australian history, as well as the largest ever infrastructure takeover. We also acted on the concurrent $4.4 billion refinancing of Sydney Airport’s debt financing facilities
- advising Energy Corporation of New South Wales on the financing aspects of the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone project. This project is the first of the 5 renewable energy zones proposed for NSW
Sectors
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