Practice Expertise

  • Tax
  • Finance
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Real estate

Areas of Practice

  • Finance
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Real estate
  • Tax

Profile

I have expertise in providing commercial and financial structuring advice for real estate transactions and cover all taxation issues related to property development structures, joint ventures, in-bound real estate investment and establishing real estate trusts.

I am recognised in leading directory Chambers Global as “one of the best stamp duty lawyers in Australia” and am consistently recognised as a leading lawyer in Chamber Asia Pacific and Best Lawyers: Australia. I am recognised as a property industry expert, primarily through my involvement in the Property Council of Australia, where I Chair two tax committees, am on the Build to Rent Roundtable and the tax committee for the Retirement Living Council, and am on the NSW Division Council.

Between 2017 and 2021, I held the position of office managing partner, Sydney.

Career highlights

  • Australian Unity: Advised Australian Unity on all tax aspects of the $1.1 billion Herston Quarter project involving the development of health, hospital, aged care and retirement facilities in Brisbane's CBD.
  • Queensland and NSW Governments: Advised on the stamp duty consequences for bidders of the Ports of Brisbane, Botany, Kembla privatisations which impacted on the pricing of their bids, and assisted with drafting relevant legislation to ensure stamp duty efficiency.
  • Dexus Property Group: Advised on the acquisition and development of 470A and 480 Queen St in Brisbane and Kings Square in Perth.
  • Mirvac Group: Advised on the $414 million takeover of Westpac Office Trust, an ASX listed trust holding, the $365 million takeover of Mirvac Real Estate Investment Trust (MREIT), the acquisition of Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre and various residential developments.
  • Morgan Stanley Real Estate: Advised on the A$6.6 billion (enterprise value) acquisition by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds of the stapled Investa Property Group, consisting of Investa Property Trust and Investa Properties Limited.
  • AMP Capital Investors: Advised on a number of merger CBD commercial property sales and acquisitions, including the stamp duty and GST structuring of the transactions.
  • Qantas Airways Limited: Advised on the sale of Terminal 3 back to Sydney Airports.

Education
BEc, LLB, LLM

Areas of Practice

  • Finance
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Real estate
  • Tax

Professional Career

Professional Associations
  • Chairman of Partners - Sydney
  • Chair of the State Tax Committee of The Property Council of Australia
  • Chair of the Tax Committee of The Property Council of Australia NSW Division
  • Tax Institute State Taxes Liaison Committee, Member
  • Group Member of the NSW Law Society


Articles

  • WA introduces amending legislation to make significant stamp duty changes

    On 29 November 2018, the Revenue Laws Amendment Bill 2018 (Bill) was introduced into the Western Australian (WA) Parliament.

    The Bill amends the Duties Act 2008 (Duties Act), the Land Tax Assessment Act 2002 and the Pay-roll Tax Assessment Act 2002. The Bill is complemented by the Taxation Administration Amendment Bill 2018.

  • Commercial and industrial stamp duty reform in Victoria

    Further details released for planned transition from stamp duty to an annual tax for commercial and industrial properties from 1 July 2024.

  • Victorian State Budget – Important Duty and Land Tax Changes for 2019

    The State Taxation Acts Amendment Bill 2019 (Vic), introduced to Parliament on 27 May 2019, contains numerous important changes to Victoria's stamp duty and land tax laws.

     

  • 2017 amending legislation makes significant stamp duty changes in NSW

    The State Revenue Legislation Further Amendment Bill 2017 (Bill) was introduced into the New South Wales Parliament on 23 February 2017. The Bill amends the Duties Act 1997 (Duties Act), the Land Tax Management Act 1956 (LTM Act), and the Payroll Act 2007.

  • Significant Queensland land tax increases for 2019-20

    The Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (Qld), which followed the Queensland State Budget for 2019-20, contains many important changes to Queensland's state taxes. Our update sets out the key land tax changes effected by the Amendment Act.

  • COVID-19: Land tax - measures relief for landowners

    We explore some of the key land tax measures and what it means for landowning individuals and business as a variety of land tax concessions are announced to help relieve the cash-flow strain caused by COVID-19.

  • Update: NSW Government has significantly expanded the scope of existing stamp duty regime

    The State Revenue and Fines Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Act 2022 (NSW) from 19 May 2022 introduced measures to impose two new types of dutiable transactions: acknowledgements of trusts and changes in beneficial ownership.

  • Victorian State Budget Update 2021/2022

    Following a year of significant tax concessions and stimulus spending in response to COVID-19, the 2021/2022 Victorian State Budget adopts a clear revenue-raising focus.

  • Capital raisings: VCAT decision puts spotlight on landholder duty risks

    VCAT's recent decision on landholder duty increases risk and uncertainty for capital raisings.

  • NSW Budget 2023-24 tax highlights

    Significant stamp duty and land tax changes were announced by the NSW Government in its 2023-24 Budget.

  • Victorian State Budget – Big stamp duty and tax changes from 2024
  • WA Landholder Duty Case - Valuation Approach in Valuing Land Assets for Landholder Duty Transactions
  • Queensland Land Tax changes - Important Update

    The Queensland Government has announced that it will introduce guidelines to exempt certain taxpayers from the foreign owner land tax surcharge that was introduced by the Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (Qld).

     

  • Kicking off the Invictus Games celebration

    As the Official Lawyers of the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, last week we were thrilled to kick off our Invictus Games festivities with a cocktail party for clients at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum.

  • Stamp duty abolition now only a first home buyers' election

    This week the NSW 2022 Budget was handed down, which set out the proposed rollout of the much anticipated property tax. Rather than being a 'once in a generation change to our property tax system', it is a change that only impacts first home buyers.

  • Queensland - Exemption Guidelines for Foreign Owner Land Tax Surcharge

    More than 12 months after the introduction of a 2% land tax surcharge for ‘foreign companies’ and trustees of ‘foreign trusts’, the Queensland Government has finalised guidelines to exempt certain entities. We outline what this means for affected taxpayers.

  • Updated stamping practice: NSW options

    Revenue NSW's new practice requires land valuation for options exercised after 12 months, potentially causing higher duty payments and settlement delays.

  • NSW Government proposes to significantly expand scope of existing stamp duty regime

    The new Bill proposes to bring transactions and statements to duty that are currently not caught, and target taxpayers and advisers alike with the re-write of the anti-avoidance provisions. These changes are noteworthy, particularly in light of the Government's live proposal to phase out stamp duty in favour of a broad based property tax.

  • Queensland 2019-20 State Budget – What impact will the budget have on your tax agenda?

    Queensland has just announced significant changes to its tax regime through the 2019-20 State Budget which will particularly impact employers, landowners, and the LNG industry.

     

  • NSW 2017-18 Budget confirms increase to stamp duty and land tax surcharges

    2017-18 New South Wales State Budget: Tax and duty changes, including significant increases to stamp duty and land tax surcharges, and certain exemptions and/or refund provisions for Australian-based developers and permanent residents.

  • NSW announces Land Tax discounts for build-to-rent developments

    The Berejiklian government has announced it will cut land tax by 50% for the next 20 years for developers who invest in build-to-rent (BTR) schemes. We summarise what the land tax discount means for businesses.

  • Queensland announces tax concessions for Build-To-Rent projects

    Queensland announces 50% land tax cut and foreign investor exemptions for eligible Build-To-Rent projects featuring affordable housing component from 1 July 2023.

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