About Ben
Ben Mahoney practises in commercial and banking & finance law, focussing on large debt and equity financing and restructuring transactions.
He has acted for major corporations, funds, entrepreneurs and family groups in a range of finance, capital raising, property development, restructuring & insolvency and general commercial matters, including joint ventures, shareholder arrangements and business acquisitions.
Ben is consistently ranked as a leading lawyer in the areas of property and corporate finance by Chambers Asia Pacific and the Legal 500 Asia Pacific in which he has been highlighted for his “commercial, practical approach” and for possessing “versatile skills that include advising on debt and equity financings, and restructuring transactions”. Successive editions of the Legal 500 Asia Pacific recognise his expertise in the area of restructuring & insolvency, quoting sources describing him as “one of the most effective restructuring lawyers in Australia”.
Ben joined Arnold Bloch Leibler in 1998 and was admitted to practice in 1999. He became a partner in 2006.
“Very active, very good at corralling a group of stakeholders and is across all the details.”
Practice focus
Ben’s practice focuses on the following areas:
- banking and finance transactions, including negotiating large debt and equity financing transactions, capital raising, property development finance, project finance, mezzanine finance and intercreditor arrangements
- large solvent and insolvent restructuring and workout transactions
- managed investment scheme and financial services law, and
- general commercial and corporate transactions, including joint ventures, shareholder arrangements, business acquisitions and restructuring advice.
Experience
Ben has acted for major corporations, funds, entrepreneurs and family groups in a range of finance, restructuring and general commercial matters, including:
Property finance
- Establishment of Assemble Communities and Super Housing Partnerships built-to-rent development and funds management platforms
- Medical Properties Trust: in relation to the acquisition of $1.25 billion of hospitals from Australian private hospital operator Healthscope
- IP Generation: in relation to the acquisition and financing of over $1 billion of Australian retail shopping centre assets across Australia, and
- A large number of Australian public and private property groups and developers in relation to debt and equity financing transactions for property and portfolio acquisitions, development and construction facilities and joint venture arrangements.
Corporate finance
- Caspian Capital: in relation to its syndicated loan facility to finance the acquisition of Australian travel business, Journey Beyond
- Credit Agricole and the senior lenders: in relation to the international credit facilities to McDermott International engineering and construction group
- Victorian Funds Management Corporation: in relation to the joint venture with Lighthouse Investment Management to establish a $300 million specialised credit fund
- Redcape Property Fund: in relation to the takeover and recapitalisation of Redcape via a distressed debt control transaction
- Värde Partners: in relation to a consortium’s acquisition of GE’s $8.2 billion consumer finance business, and
- Pure Asset Management and Partners for Growth: in relation to multiple acquisition and corporate debt facilities with Australian technology, biotech and growth companies.
Restructuring & insolvency
- Australian Football League: advising on its $600 million ‘COVID season’ refinancing and club support agreement
- PWC, as deed administrators: in relation to the insolvency of listed retail fashion group PAS Group Limited
- KPMG, as deed administrators: in relation to the financing of the Pasminco Cockle Creek Smelter site
- Wingate (as financier) and Deloitte (as receivers): in connection with the insolvency of the Ralan and Gwelo property groups, and
- Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal: acting for a key stakeholder in relation to refinance and take-or-pay arrangements.
Awards & recognition
Ben is recognised as a leading lawyer by various international guides to lawyers and law firms.
- Best Lawyers® International: banking & finance law, commercial law, insolvency & reorganisation law
- Chambers Asia Pacific: banking & finance: property and corporate finance and restructuring & insolvency, and
- Legal 500 Asia Pacific: banking & finance and restructuring & insolvency.
