About Are
Are Watne is a special counsel in the firm’s Banking and Finance team.
Are has a broad range of experience across various finance transactions, including project and corporate financings as well as property financing and both solvent and insolvent restructurings. Are has acted on major projects, including the procurement, delivery and financing of major Australian infrastructure assets.
Are joined the firm as a law graduate in 2009 and was appointed as a senior associate in 2014. Are re-joined Arnold Bloch Leibler as special counsel in 2022.
Are holds a Bachelor of Business from Queensland University of Technology, a Master of International Studies at The University of Queensland and a Juris Doctor from The University of Melbourne.
Practice focus
Are’s practice focuses on the following areas:
- property investment and development financings, including senior and mezzanine financings;
- project finance;
- restructuring and work outs; and
- general commercial and corporate transactions.
Experience
Are has acted in a range of matters, including:
- Becton Property Group in relation to both acquisition and development finance and the later restructuring and limited receivership of the group;
- Redcape Property Fund: in relation to the takeover and recapitalisation of Redcape via a distressed debt control transaction;
- KordaMentha: acting for the receivers of the Record Realty Group;
- the receivers and managers of National Leisure & Gaming Limited (NLG), a major hotel operator, on the sale and restructuring of NLG’s business
- a range of listed property funds with respect to both structuring and financing aspects of their business;
- various property groups and developers: in relation to financing transactions for property acquisitions, development and construction facilities; and
- non-bank lenders in connection with both first ranking and mezzanine financing.
Prior to re-joining ABL, Are also acted on the following matters:
- Michael Hill Jewellers on its corporate finance, and the financing aspects of its restructuring and redomiciling from the NZX to the ASX;
- JARE, a special purpose company set up by Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Sojitz Corporation on its debt funding of Lynas Corporation;
- Peabody Energy Australia on the Australian aspects of its successful global restructuring and funding arrangements as part of a US Chapter 11 reorganisation;
- Brisbane City Council on the financing and development aspects of the Howard Smith Wharves precinct;
- the Queensland Government on a range of industry support financing packages. This has included advice in relation to structuring and drafting loan and security documentation;
- the Queensland and Western Australian governments on the financing aspects of their container recycling and refund schemes;
- a range of State parties on the financing aspects of large PPP projects, including the Gateway and Logan Motorways (Qld) and North East Link Project (Vic);
- NAIF on funding arrangements for the development and improvement of various parts of the James Cook University campus;
- Brisbane City Council on the Brisbane Metro Project; and
- the Queensland government on the procurement, negotiation and delivery phases of various large PPP projects, including Toowoomba Second Range Crossing and Cross River Rail.
