Richard Graham Partner

Richard is a transactional corporate and M&A lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience in large scale real estate and infrastructure transactions.

His experience also encompasses industries such as funds management, non-bank lending, energy and resources, construction, IT, telecommunications, consumer goods, hospitality, healthcare, aged care and retirement living.
Richard works extensively with Australian and multinational organisations, sovereign wealth funds and financial investors, and has also worked with large family offices and government.
Richard has been acknowledged by his peers as a recommended lawyer in the Doyle’s Guide for Leading M&A Lawyers in Sydney, Australia, and separately in the M&A category of The Best Lawyers in Australia. Other directories have referred to him as a "strong negotiator, who is always accessible", and, "highly efficient" with "striking people skills" and "in-depth knowledge of all aspects of real estate M&A".

Experience

General

AXA IM

Advised on the establishment of a real estate platform managed by ESR, and on its acquisition (in joint venture with a sovereign wealth fund) of a US$1 billion portfolio of logistics properties in Japan (the ALB Law Awards Real Estate Deal of the Year for 2018 in Japan).

Lendlease Primelife

Advised on the restructure of its management rights over 12 retirement villages owned by Australian Property Custodian Holdings Limited (Prime Trust) arising as a result of the insolvency of APCH, including various village acquisitions.

Publishing & Broadcasting Limited

Advised on the creation of PBL Media and its disposal of a 50 per cent (c.AU$4.5 billion) interest in PBL Media to CVC Asia Pacific Ltd.

Global Infrastructure Partners

Advised on its $4.8 billion acquisition of Equis Energy.

VINCI Airports

Advised on its recent fully binding bid to acquire a 49% interest in Hobart Airport.

APA Group

Advised on its c.AU$500 million restructure and sale of 80% of its Queensland gas distribution network.

HNA Group

Advised on all aspects of the structuring of, and sales process for, the sale of 1 York Street, Sydney to Blackstone.

Fujitsu

Advised on its joint venture with Lenovo for the production and marketing of laptop and handheld devices.

Azelis (an EQT portfolio company)

Advised on its acquisitions of S&D Chemicals Group and Chemcolour.

Recognition

Career & qualifications

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts, University of Sydney
  • Bachelor of Laws, Bond University
  • Law and Management, University of New South Wales

Memberships

  • Law Society of New South Wales

International experience

  • As a former partner of Clifford Chance, Richard was admitted as a foreign legal practitioner in the United Kingdom
  • Worked as the cross-border M&A head of Clifford Chance’s Tokyo team. Admitted as a foreign legal practitioner in Japan (2018)

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