Sector

Real Assets

We advise on the largest and most important real asset transactions in the Australian market, acting for the institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, private capital sponsors, developers and asset managers behind them. Our integrated, multi-disciplinary team spans real estate, M&A, financing, development, tax, and funds, giving private capital and institutional investors coordinated, cradle-to-grave support across the full investment life cycle.

How we can help

The distinction between real estate and infrastructure has narrowed. Institutional investors are increasingly building platforms and portfolios rather than individual assets, across sectors including digital infrastructure, living, logistics, healthcare and energy transition. As investors and managers bring their real estate and infrastructure strategies together under dedicated real assets mandates, they need advisers who understand the underlying assets, the capital structures and the M&A execution in equal measure.

Our Real Assets team is organised around the way private capital actually invests, combining private capital M&A, direct real estate, banking and finance, funds, construction, planning and environment and regulatory expertise within a single group that works together across the entire investment life cycle, from acquisition and financing through development and operation to eventual exit.

Several members of our team have worked within the organisations we advise, and we structure our advice with a clear understanding of how they assess and execute deals.

Supported by G+T’s leading public M&A, ECM, private equity and finance practices, and by integrated capability across tax, competition, regulatory, disputes and ESG, we provide commercial and considered advice on complex, high-value transactions across the full risk curve.

Real Assets experience

Australian data centre platforms

On the debt financing arrangements AirTrunk, CDC Data Centres, STACK Infrastructure, DCI Data Centres and GreenSquareDC, comprising data centre debt issuance of over $50 billion since 2018.

Blackstone

On its acquisition of AirTrunk from a Macquarie-led consortium, which at the time, was the largest ever data centre deal globally and the second-largest private capital M&A transaction in Australian history.

Global and regional data centre operators

On business commencement, structuring, FIRB and land acquisition arrangements for their entry and initial Australian projects.

Blackstone

On the acquisition, financing, and asset management aspects of its $550 million acquisition of the Student One PBSA platform and portfolio, as well as the financing and asset management for its Realm BTR platform and portfolio.

Invesco

On several fund-through acquisition and development joint ventures in the student accommodation and BTS sectors, as well as the financing of its $845 million acquisition of RetireAustralia.

Various sponsors and managers

On the development, financing, acquisition and disposal of land lease and masterplanned community assets.

Blackstone

On the financing, aggregation and $3.8 billion dual-track disposal of the Milestone logistics platform to ESR (at the time the largest direct real estate transaction in Australian history).

Invesco

On several fund-through acquisition and development joint ventures in the student accommodation and BTS sectors, as well as the financing of its $845 million acquisition of RetireAustralia.

Hillhouse, Rava Partners and Samty

On their $650 million acquisition of UniLodge, Australia’s largest student accommodation and build to rent management platform.

Morgan Stanley REI

On several fund through acquisitions and developments of office assets.

Blackstone

On its $10 billion take-private of Crown Resorts.

Blackstone

On its $2.1 billion sell-down of interests in the Southern Cross Towers in Melbourne to Charter Hall. The largest direct office tower transaction in Australian history.

Blackstone

On the financing of its $8.9 billion acquisition of Crown Resorts and its $1.2 billion acquisition of Hamilton Island.

ESR

On the acquisition financing for its $3.8 billion acquisition of the 45-property Milestone Logistics Portfolio from Blackstone.

Sembcorp

On a landmark $3.1 billion club facility to support Sembcorp’s approximately $6.5 billion acquisition of the Alinta Energy group.

Blackstone Real Estate Debt Solutions

On its senior secured facility for Far East Consortium’s $2 billion West Side Place project in Melbourne and the related back-leverage financing.