David Beckett Partner

David is a banking and finance lawyer specialising in leveraged, acquisition and corporate finance.

He has significant experience advising on complex syndicated, club and bilateral financing arrangements including domestic and cross border leveraged and private equity transactions, acquisition finance, general corporate finance and debt restructurings. He also has experience in project financing.

David is recognised as one of Australia’s leading lawyers in the areas of Banking and Finance law and Structured Finance law by Chambers Asia Pacific and Best Lawyers Australia. Prior to returning to Australia in 2007, David was a senior member of the leveraged finance team of Allen & Overy LLP in London, specialising in cross border private equity transactions.

Experience

Leveraged Finance

Lineage Logistics

Advising on all Australian aspects of its financing for its acquisition of Emergent Cold, comprising US term loan B and asset backed loan facilities with an incremental loan being raised to partly fund acquisition of Emergent Cold. Advised on the financing for its purchase of five separate cold storage facilities from US private equity group Blackstone.

Illion

Advising in relation to its ongoing senior debt requirements, including the recent refinancing of its senior syndicated facilities.

Kestrel Mine Acquisition

Advising Senior Financiers and Mezzanine Lenders in relation to the acquisition by EMR Private Equity and Adaro Energy of the Kestrel coking coal mine from Rio Tinto. Transaction Value +US2.5 Billion.

Battery Ventures

Advised as its Australian legal counsel in respect of its senior acquisition finance and revolving facilities in relation to its acquisition of PageUp People Limited. Facilities provided by TPG Specialty Lending, Inc.

Panthera Finance

Advising (the second largest purchaser of consumer and utilities debt in the Australian market) in relation to all financing matters including its senior syndicated facilities and its mezzanine facilities provided by CHAMP Private Equity.

Archer Capital

Regularly advises in relation to its acquisition and leveraged finance transactions including in relation to: the Autopact Group (previously the Crick Auto Group), the Illion Group (previously Dun and Bradstreet Group), the Aero-Care Group (acquired by Swissport), the LCR Group, Lend Lease’s Prime Life Aged Care portfolio and V8 Supercars.

Bain Capital

Advised in relation to the acquisition of the Only About Children childcare group as well as other confidential bids on Australian upper mid-market unlisted assets.

CHAMP Ventures

Advising in relation to the senior leveraged debt facilities for its acquisition of the SeaSwift maritime business (including the acquisition of Toll Holdings’ northern Australia maritime transport business).

L'Catterton Asia (LVMH)

Advised on all financing matters in relation to its 2XU and RM Williams businesses.

Crescent Capital

Advising as second lien financier supporting KKR’s A$2 billion acquisition the publicly listed MYOB.

Potentia Capital

Advising in relation to the senior acquisition facilities for its purchase of the PC-EFTPOS business.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and Permira

Advising Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and Permira in relation to the senior and mezzanine financing of its acquisition of SBS Broadcasting, S.A.

Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd

Advising Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd as lead senior arranger and mezzanine arranger in respect of the acquisition by Hg Capital of European, Australia and US businesses of Schenck Group.

J.P. Morgan PLC and Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd

Advising J.P. Morgan PLC and Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd as lead arranger/mezzanine arrangers on Montague Private Equity’s acquisition of various European, North American and Pacific group entities of BSN Medical Management.

Goldman Sachs International and HSBC Bank

Advising lead arrangers Goldman Sachs International and HSBC Bank on Hellman and Friedman Capital Partners’ acquisition of the Gartmore Group (one of the United Kingdom’s leading funds management firms).

Corporate, Property & Project Finance

Adelaide Brighton

Adelaide Brighton Advised on the refinancing of its existing AUD715 million syndicated term and working capital facilities with bilateral facilities totalling AUD900 million.

Taurus

Advised the five Foundation Dealer Groups (including Eagers Automotive Limited) in relation to a new dealership financing platform developed and being provided by Taurus Financial supported by Metrics Credit, Credit Suisse and Grant Samuel.

Oak Tree Group

Advising in relation to all finance matters including the senior financing and equity investments by Aware Super (previously First State Super) in the Oak Tree Group.

Longreach Credit Investors

Regularly acts for Longreach in relation to mid-market corporate finance transactions

BSA Limited

advising BSA Limited in relation to all finance matters.

Eagers Automotive Ltd

Advising on all financing matters including in relation to its off-market bid for Automotive Holdings Group.

Senex Energy

Advised in relation to its multicurrency unsecured RBL corporate facilities and proposed project financing of the development of certain oil and gas tenements.

Stanmore Coal

Advised in relation to its acquisition and development financing in respect of the Isaac Plains Coal Mine and contiguous sites from Vale, Sumitomo and Peabody entities.

Wesfarmers Curragh

Advising on its allocation of coal capacity (and investment) in the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal.

Numerous Singaporean, Hong Kong and South Korean property investment vehicles

Advised numerous Singaporean, Hong Kong and South Korean property investment vehicles on acquisition financing of their large scale residential and resort property developments in Far North Queensland and on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Recognition

Career & qualifications

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons), University of Wollongong
  • Bachelor of Commerce, University of Wollongong

Memberships

  • Supreme Court of New South Wales
  • Banking and Financial Services Law Association
  • Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association Ltd

International experience

  • Two years as a senior member of the leveraged finance team of a magic circle firm, London