3 firms are latest to advise on major hospital project

The $135m project will add 160 new beds and the hospital’s first intensive care unit

3 firms are latest to advise on major hospital project
Three top firms complete the list of legal advisers for a major hospital project in Victoria.

Allens, Clayton Utz, and White & Case are also involved in the expansion of the existing Casey Hospital through a series of transactions that closed earlier this month. Earlier, Pinsent Masons and Corrs Chambers Westgarth confirmed their involvement in the deal.

Allens advised the Plenary Health consortium. The consortium includes Watpac, which was advised by Pinsents, and Brookfield GIS, which was advised by Clayton Utz. White & Case acted for existing bondholders, while Corrs aided the Victorian government.

The $135m project adds 160 new beds, the hospital’s first intensive care unit, six new operating theatres, additional recovery capacity, a new day surgery unit, upgraded pharmacy, pathology and back-of-house areas, more than 300 new staff and public car parks, and a new front entry building that includes education and training spaces for Monash University, Allens said. It will enable the hospital to service an additional 25,000 patients, perform an additional 8,000 procedures, and support an extra 1,300 births per year.

“The two most critical issues with augmentations are the interface with existing operations and facilities and the preservation of the existing operating capital structure,” said projects partner David Donnelly, who led the Allens team. “These issues were of paramount importance to the team, who were able to ensure these considerations were appropriately addressed within the context of works occurring in an around and existing operating hospital.”

He said that the Allens team drew on their work in developing the Gold Coast Light Rail expansion last year. The firm and Corrs worked on that matter.

“We are seeing a definite increase in the number of sole-sourced projects – both market-led, or unsolicited – proposals, and augmentations. These projects unlock critical value in existing assets and Allens is very pleased to be at the forefront of these developments,” he said.

From the projects group, Allens fielded managing associate Paul Telford, associates Amy Biggins and Ben van Weel, lawyers Yi-Ling Ng and Emma Veljkovic, and graduate Krystyna Lopez. The firm’s finance team was led by partner James Darcy. It included managing associate Paul Cerche and assocaites Tristan Kelly and David Yang. Corporate partners Wendy Rae and Geoff Sanders, senior associates Nick Kefalianos and Stephanie Malon, and graduate Katerina Dandanis also acted on the deal. Tax advice was provided by partner Adrian Chek and managing associate Jennee Chan.


Related stories:
Corrs lends a hand in $135 million hospital expansion
Pinsent Masons acts on $135m hospital expansion

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