Americas

The vast economies of the Americas offer clients outstanding opportunities for commercial success in the region’s enterprise market. Freehills’ extensive experience across a range of sectors, including private infrastructure, offers clients a complimentary skill set, supported by two decades of experience and local knowledge in the region.

We undertake high-level legal work for many of the world’s leading companies, and provide clients with innovative, tailor-made commercial and project management solutions.

Our experience in dedicating the necessary skills from our vast pool of talent is a significant contributor to our clients’ success. We offer clients the combined knowledge and resources of more than 1,000 lawyers, including around 200 partners. In addition, we call upon our vast network of contacts around the world to ensure clients reach their commercial objectives.

To assist clients conducting business in the Americas, staff are ‘flown in’ to the project site as required, and provide integrated, seamless legal solutions to support clients in reaching their project milestones. Our team accesses our ‘virtual office’ from any location around the world, at any time, effectively providing 24 hour service on a project.

Our understanding of the changing nature of the business environment and the need to respond quickly is well supported by our extensive local knowledge, and reaffirms our commitment to working in the Americas.

Compared to our United States and European colleagues, we offer clients some of the most competitive legal rates across the region, which in turn assists them in meeting their budgetary requirements.

Our experience in working on major projects in the Americas covers a range of industries including banking & finance, property/funds, infrastructure, energy & resources, real estate and corporate and commercial law. This experience extends across many areas of practice, including:

• corporate and regulatory advice to clients investing in Australia and the Americas
• combined regional knowledge led by senior lawyers with broad international corporate experience and an understanding of local sensitivities, and
• the provision of seamless legal services regardless of location, and project management expertise including multi jurisdictional legal services.

A selection of our most recent experience in the Americas includes:

Industry Funds Management (IFM) – advising as part of a consortium, in relation to a diversified power project

• Transfield – advising in relation to a diversified power project
• IFM – advising in relation to the acquisition of an interest in Colonial Pipeline
• IFM – advising in relation to the acquisition of a portfolio of Con Edison power assets
• Macquarie led consortium, including IFM – advising on its acquisition of Duquesne Light Holdings
• Transfield – advising in relation to the Northwest Parkway Colorado Tollroad
• Bovis Lend Lease – advising in relation to their North American activities
• QIC – advising on the acquisition of a 40 per cent interest in a regional shopping centre in Houston
• Transurban – advising in relation to its North American expansions including asset acquisitions and bids
• Orica – advising on the acquisition from Macquarie of the assets of Dyno Nobel in more than 30 countries across the world, including the United States of America
• TSX and NYSE-listed IAMGOLD Corporation – advising on their $270 million acquisition of ASX-listed Gallery Gold Limited by means of a scheme of arrangement
• Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation – advising on the US$1.1 billion merger with Bolnisi Gold NL and Palmarejo Silver & Gold to create the worlds largest silver company

Pacific Hydro – advising in relation to the development, engineering, procurement and construction of the A$250 million La Higuera 155MW Hydro Power Project, Chile

• SN Power – advising in relation to the 168 MW Cheves Hydro Power Project, Peru
• Pacific Hydro – advising in relation to the 145MW A$350 million La Confluencia  Hydro Power Project, Chile
• Pacific Hydro – advising in relation to the Chacayes 106MW Hydro Power Project, Chile
• Pacific Hydro – advising in relation to the Maharashtra Khandeke wind farm project, Chile
• Pacific Hydro – advising on the US$75 million acquisition of the Chilean state-owned Coya and Pangal Hydro Power Projects in Chile, financed out of New York
• Pacific Hydro – advising in relation to development of the 500 MW Power Project, Chile, and
• Orica – advising on the acquisition from Macquarie of the assets of Dyno Nobel in more than 30 countries across the world, including Brazil and Columbia