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About Damien

Damien Cuddihy practises in banking and finance law with a particular focus on property finance.

He has acted for a variety of commercial and corporate clients, including financial institutions, large corporations, property developers and family businesses, on a diverse range of finance matters.

Damien graduated from The University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws with honours. He joined Arnold Bloch Leibler in 2005 as an articled clerk and was admitted to practice in 2006. In 2008, Damien moved overseas where he worked in the Oman office of Trowers & Hamlins, an international law firm with offices throughout the United Kingdom and the Middle East. He returned to Arnold Bloch Leibler in 2011, was appointed as a senior associate in 2012, became a special counsel in 2018 and was appointed as a partner in July 2021.

Recommended for Banking and Finance Law and Project Finance and Development Law

Best Lawyers® International guide

Practice focus

Damien’s practice focuses on the following areas:

  • banking and finance, including documenting and negotiating large corporate lending transactions, syndicated facilities and mezzanine finance arrangements, with a particular focus on non-bank lending

  • property and development, including property and development finance, property joint ventures, wholesale property and debt funds, and development agreements, and

  • general commercial and corporate transactions, including joint ventures and shareholder arrangements.

Experience

Damien’s experience includes the following matters:

Property & development finance

Acting for lenders

  • MaxCap Group: in relation to the senior, mezzanine and preferred equity financing of numerous residential and commercial property developments
  • Merricks Capital: in connection with a variety of property, corporate and agricultural financings, including:
    • a A$220 million syndicated facility to fund construction of the Castle Residences residential and hotel development in Sydney
    • a A$190 million syndicated facility to fund construction of the mixed-use development in Abbotsford, Victoria, known as Park House, and
    • a syndicated facility to fund construction of a A$300 million office tower in South Yarra, Victoria
  • major international financial institutions: in relation to the syndicated financing of several independent water and power projects and other corporate facilities in the Sultanate of Oman
  • VPV Investments LLC/FTI Consulting: in connection with the receivership of the Pentridge Village development, and
  • Wingate: in connection with the insolvency of the Ralan Group.

Acting for developers

  • Gurner™: in relation to the structuring, development and financing aspects of several significant projects, including:
    • senior, mezzanine and note issue arrangements for the financing of its A$600 million mixed-use development in Fortitude Valley, Queensland, and
    • the A$550 million residential development project in St Kilda, Victoria, known as Saint Moritz
  • Gurner™ and Qualitas: in relation to their $1.2 billion build-to-rent development fund
  • Brady Group: in relation to the financing of a number of residential apartment towers incorporating hotel and commercial components
  • Dennis Group: in connection with the financing of a series of land subdivision projects, and
  • JD Group:  in connection with various finance arrangements, including facilities to fund development of the Victoriana and Sierra projects in Victoria.

Structuring & fundraising

  • Alceon: in connection with the structuring and establishment of a A$250 million wholesale development finance fund
  • Charter Hall: in relation to the establishment and financing of several wholesale property funds, including the Core Logistics Property Fund and the LWIP Trust
  • Gardior: in connection with a strategic review of the management of The Infrastructure Fund undertaken on behalf of unitholders, and
  • local and foreign institutional and private investors: advising in relation to investments in land and development facilities, including pursuant to participation arrangements, note subscription documentation and unit trust structures.

Awards & recognition

Damien is recognised as a leading lawyer by various international guides to lawyers and law firms:

  • Legal 500 Asia Pacific: banking and finance, and
  • Best Lawyers® International: banking & finance law and project finance and development practice.

Recognition & publications

Take a look at Insights & News articles referencing Damien Cuddihy