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About Nathan

Nathan is a partner of Arnold Bloch Leibler’s banking & finance practice in Sydney. He is a trusted advisor to many sponsors and borrowers (including fund managers, property developers and corporates), non-bank lenders and high net worth individuals on property financings, private equity financings, leveraged and corporate financings as well as restructurings.

Prior to joining Arnold Bloch Leibler, Nathan spent 13 years in the London office (including as partner) of the then international law firm SJ Berwin LLP. During his time in London he regularly advised property funds, private equity houses, corporates and financial instructions on a wide range of domestic and international financing transactions. Nathan maintains strong connections with many of his London based property finance contacts.

Nathan is recognised as a leading practitioner in banking & finance law, distinguished by rankings in both Best Lawyers® International and Legal 500 Asia Pacific.

Nathan holds a Bachelor of Laws from Queensland University of Technology is admitted to practice in Australia and is currently on the roll as a non-practising solicitor in England & Wales.

“Nathan led our transaction under complex conditions, including managing the deal smoothly with many moving parts. He kept his eyes on the end game and should be highly commended on how he drove the deal to an exceptional result.”

Client quote, Real estate developer

Practice focus

Nathan’s banking and finance practice focuses on borrower, sponsor and non-bank lender representation including the following key areas:

  • property investment and development financings, including senior, mezzanine and preferred equity financings
  • domestic and international financings
  • private equity acquisition financings
  • corporate and leveraged financings
  • loan note issuance and back-leverage funding
  • restructuring and distressed debt, and
  • debt purchase/assignments and transaction structuring.

Experience

Nathan has acted in a range of matters, including:

Property finance – on behalf of lenders

  • Starwood Capital: in relation to a large construction and investment facility for a landmark Melbourne CBD project by international student accommodation specialist, Scape
  • Alceon Group: in relation to:
    • numerous senior debt and mezzanine financing facilities made available to various property developers for property investment, development and residual stock purposes, and
    • the establishment of a senior (A) / junior (B) class debt fund with a leading international financial counterparty
  • MaxCap Group: in relation to numerous senior secured property investment financings
  • Qualitas: in relation to various investment, mezzanine and senior construction and residual stock financings, including for a large residential apartment development in Canberra
  • Fortress Investment Group: in relation to numerous senior secured property investment and construction facilities
  • Merricks Capital: in relation to various senior secured property investment financings
  • Family office groups: in relation to numerous private capital property financings transactions secured over a variety of commercial, industrial, retail, land subdivision sites and residential properties
  • ADS Finance: in relation to various financings, including cross-border property financing transactions and corporate financings (including warrant issuance)
  • Gresham Property Funds Management: in relation to a mezzanine investment and development facility for a mixed-use residential and commercial development in Sydney, and
  • Challenger: in relation to the provision of a syndicated cash advance facility to Blackstone Group for the refinancing of an industrial and retail property in Sydney.

Property finance – on behalf of sponsors and borrowers

  • Toga Group: in relation to numerous financings, including the investment and development financing for its West Ryde, Sydney development and the syndicated senior development financing for construction of apartments at Macquarie Park, Sydney and certain hotel financings
  • Centennial Property Group: in relation to numerous investment and development financings for various Centennial funds, across commercial, mixed-use, residential and industrial sectors. This includes advising in relation to structuring and documenting the senior investment and development debt for the Centennial / Brookfield industrial property fund (as reported in the AFR and Centennial’s announcement)
  • Haben: in relation to various of their investment and development financings in respect of numerous shopping centres in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, including the acquisition by unit sale agreement from Blackstone of the Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre. We have also acted on the acquisition of various half interests in large Australian shopping centres including agreeing various co-ownership agreements
  • ANKA: in relation to various of their investment and development financings in respect of numerous properties, including acting on the financing aspects of the sale and financing of 1 Darling Point Road, Edgecliff, Sydney for $132.5 million to Lendlease and Mitsubishi Estate Asia (as reported in the AFR)
  • Gleneagle and the Eights: in relation to the purchase and the senior and mezzanine financing of a development site in Auckland, New Zealand
  • Charter Hall: in relation to various property investment financings
  • Far East Group: in relation to its refinancing of a prime Sydney CBD property and an Australian hotel portfolio refinancing
  • Private developer/care home operator: acting for the borrower/owner in relation to a senior and mezzanine financing for the construction of an aged care home in Greenwich, Sydney
  • Aqualand: in relation to the refinancing of a North Sydney Office tower
  • AsheMorgan: in relation to various senior debt and mezzanine financings and related intercreditor arrangements, and
  • Fridcorp: in relation to certain of its financing arrangements for the ‘Eve’ development at Erskineville, Sydney.

Leveraged, private equity, corporate and venture finance

  • Accent Group Limited: in relation to its senior debt corporate club financing, including advising in relation to syndicated v club structures and negotiating common terms deeds and bilateral facilities (read more here)
  • Anacacia Capital: in relation to its majority acquisition of MGI Golf, including negotiating and agreeing the senior debt finance documents and cross-border aspects (read more here)
  • Hyperion: acting as Australian sponsor counsel to Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London) in relation to a large international leveraged financing (including various amendments and restructures)
  • First-Citizens and JP Morgan: in relation to the Australian aspects of the financing of an international software business (with lead counsel being Holland & Knight (Dallas, Texas) and Simmon & Simmons, London as UK counsel)
  • OneVentures: in relation to various secured loan facilities advanced by a venture credit fund to corporates including early stage technology companies, and
  • Oxanda Education: in relation to various matters including a senior debt facility and funding acquisitions of various child care centres.

Restructuring & work outs

  • LawFinance Limited: a series of transactions including various financings and refinancings, assistance with its placement, debt to equity conversion and the restructure of existing syndicated facility arrangements as well as advising in relation to complex associated intercreditor arrangements involving cross-border elements, including agreeing various multi-party implementation deeds
  • Apollo and Oaktree: part of the ABL team in relation to financing aspects of the restructure of Nine Entertainment where $3.4 billion in senior and mezzanine debt was exchanged for cash and equity, including advising in relation to the Australian law aspects of the $800 million leveraged facility agreement and security arrangements
  • Redbank Energy: in relation to the financing aspects of the restructuring of the $300 million senior debt facility relating to the Redbank power station, New South Wales, and
  • A tier 1 US investment bank (as hedge counterparty): in relation to the restructure of one of Australia’s largest privately owned medical diagnostic imaging networks.

UK and European financings

Prior to joining ABL, Nathan acted for:

  • AXA REIM: in relation to the cross-border refinancing of a European property portfolio involving six jurisdictions and the restructuring of a facility to a limited partnership
  • Raven Russia (a then UK AIM listed entity): on various senior investment and development financings in Russia and the Ukraine with a combined debt value in excess of US $370 million
  • Brockton Capital (a UK private equity real estate fund): in relation to various investment and development financings of London commercial properties, in addition to senior subscription lines of credit to bridge fund limited partner draws
  • National Bank of Abu Dhabi: in relation to a circa £150 million investment and development financing facility for the ExCel Exhibition and Conference Centre, London and subsequent hotel development financing that brought Starwood Hotel and Resorts' ‘Aloft’ hotel concept to the UK
  • Chelsfield: in relation to financing the acquisition of a landmark London property and part of the SJ Berwin team advising on the finance aspects of the £1.86 billion public to private transaction for Chelsfield plc
  • London & Regional: in relation to the refinancing of the London Hilton Park Lane Hotel and the financing of the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel
  • Deutsche Bank: in relation to a €95 million facility for the refinancing of a large retail restaurant and cinema complex in Bremen, Germany
  • MSREF (Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds): in relation to the (ultimately aborted) €90m financing for the acquisition of Koln Tower, Germany
  • Westfield: on the financing aspects of its £1.05 billion joint venture with Queensland Investment Corporation in relation to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre, England, and
  • Prestbury Group: in relation to financing the £365 million facility for the acquisition and leaseback of 135 Travelodge hotels in the United Kingdom (which transaction won the ‘Real Estate Team of the Year Award’ at the 2005 UK Legal Business Awards).

Directorships & memberships

Nathan is:

  • a member of the Law Society of NSW
  • a member of the Property Council of Australia, and
  • admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales and is currently on the roll as a non-practising solicitor on the SRA.

Nathan also provides pro bono advice to various organisations and is on the board of a non-profit organisation. He was an honorary solicitor for the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) for 6 years.

Awards & recognition

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

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

Recognition & publications

Take a look at Insights & News articles referencing Nathan Briner