George Croft Partner

George is a dispute resolution lawyer who predominantly acts for clients in the mining, oil & gas and electricity sectors.

He has particular experience in construction, joint venture, off-take and royalty disputes in those sectors. He also regularly advises electricity generators and retailers in operational matters and supply-side issues with fuel producers.

George has spent time on secondment within the Perth office of the world’s fourth largest oil and gas company, TOTAL S.A., where he advised its Australian business on large-scale construction disputes on major LNG production and processing facilities.

Experience

General

Rio Tinto Ltd

Acted in Supreme Court of Western Australia proceedings against the Gorgon joint venture concerning the validity of a price review notice issued under a long-term GSA.

Mitsui & Co. Ltd

Acting for Mitsui Exploration and Production Australia in various disputes and land access issues for the Waitsia project in the Perth Basin in Western Australia.

Horizon Power

Acted in Supreme Court of Western Australia litigation with former head contractor of Karratha component of Pilbara Underground Power Project.

BC Iron Ltd

Acted in Supreme Court of Western Australia litigation against its former mining services contractor, Watpac (including two initial adjudications under the Construction Contracts Act 2004).

Sandfire Resources Ltd

Acted in Supreme Court of Western Australia proceedings against counterparty under a mineral royalty deed concerning various allegations of breach.

TOTAL E&P Australia

Acted and advised in relation to large-scale construction disputes and joint venture issues in Australia.

Cooper Energy Ltd

Acted in LCIA arbitration with former joint venture participants concerning JOA obligations following withdrawal from JV in Tunisia.

Eastern Field Developments Ltd

Acted in judicial review proceedings in Federal Court from review decision of the Australian Takeover’s Panel concerning off-market bid for all shares in Finders Resources Ltd.

Price reviews

Acted for buyers in multiple confidential price review processes with sellers under significant long term gas supply contracts.

Administrators of Quintis and Lloyds of London insurers

Acting for the defendants in 3 separate securities class actions arising out of the collapse of the Quintis group and the loss of funds in its Indian Sandalwood Plantation across Northern Australia. The cases involve breaches of continuous disclosure rules and allegations of significant accounting irregularities.

NewGen Kwinana Partnership

A successful outcome for our client in Supreme Court (WA) proceedings for declaratory relief in relation to ancillary services in the WA Wholesale Market under long term contract with Electricity Generation & Retail Corporation trading as Synergy.

MACH Mt Pleasant Operations Pty Ltd

Acted in a dispute under a construction contract with Sedgman (part of the CIMIC group) for a coal handling and processing facility at MACH’s Mt Pleasant coal mine in NSW.

Recognition

Career & qualifications

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons), University of Tasmania
  • Bachelor of Arts, University of Tasmania

Memberships

  • Australian Mining and Petroleum Lawyers’ Association
  • Western Australia State Committee Member

International experience

  • Numerous international disputes, Africa, Asia and the Middle East
  • Secondment within the Australian office of one of the world’s largest oil & gas companies

Insights Read more insight

Guaranteeing payment under an unconditional bank guarantee: Santos v BNP Paribas

The Queensland Court of Appeal last week upheld a decision that a demand for payment under an unconditional bank guarantee was invalid because it failed to state expressly that it had been signed...

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Consequential loss revisited: Regional Power v Pacific Hydro Group [2013] WASC 356

In the October 2013 issue of Acumen, we gave an overview of the divergence in approach of courts in England, Australia and New Zealand in the interpretation of ...consequential... or ...indirect......

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News

External publications

  • G Croft, ‘The continuing saga of whether mining tenements fall within section 47B of the Native Title Act’ Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal (2018) 37(2)
  • G Croft, ‘Several decisions of the Mining Warden delivered in the last 12 months on applications for security for costs’ Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal (2017) 36(2)
  • G Croft, ‘Permission to enter the realm of native title law: Permits to enter when marking out’, Australian Resources and Energy Law Journal (2012) 31(3)