Biography

    John is a partner and head of Gilbert + Tobin's Banking + Projects group and is a member of Gilbert + Tobin’s Board of partners.

    John specialises in leveraged and acquisition finance, project financing of infrastructure, renewables and resources projects and general corporate finance. John has acted on the financing of some of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects, private equity acquisitions and listed takeovers.

    John has worked with sponsors, arrangers, lenders, equity investors, end-users and credit enhancers on various tax-based structured products, including R&D syndications, lease-tail transactions, foreign tax credit structures and the use of limited partnerships.

    John's experience also extends to asset-backed lending and receivables financing, as well as the funding general working capital requirements. 
    John has broad experience on secured, unsecured, syndicated, and club loan arrangements having executed major transactions using bank, institutional, TLB, unitranche, holdco PIK, mezzanine and capital markets financing products.

    John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Bachelor of Laws degree with first class honours and a Master of Taxation degree from the University of Sydney. He is admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia and has also been admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in England & Wales and as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales

    John's experience includes advising:

    • KKR on the financing of its A$3.2 billion acquisition of Arnott's Biscuits, its biggest buyout in Australia.
    • KKR on the financing of its $1.7 billion acquisition of a 55% interest in each of Colonial First State Investments Limited and Avanteos Investments Limited from the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
    • KKR on the US$1.25 billion debt facilities to fund its acquisition of MYOB.
    • TPG Capital in relation to the Australian unitranche facilities for its acquisition of Greencross.
    • BGH Capital on the c.A$1.145 billion unitranche financing in connection with their acquisition of global education group, Navitas.
    • The Sponsor on the financing of the $4.6 billion acquisition of Vocus Group and the $2.3 billion acquisition of Bingo Industries.
    • A syndicate of Australian domestic and international banks on the A$1 billion refinance of Whitehaven’s senior bank debt facilities.
    • Canberra Data Centres on their A$1.5 billion refinancing and capital expenditure debt facilities.
    • On the A$368 million syndicated debt financing to fund the Yandin Windfarm project, a 214-megawatt wind farm in the mid-west of Western Australia.
    • Icon Group and its sponsors on the A$735 million and HK$401 million first-lien / second-lien Term Loan B financing.
    • The unitranche and super senior RCF lenders to Real Pet Foods Company in relation to an A$435 million unitranche loan and a A$40 million super senior revolving working capital loan.
    • The lenders in relation to the financing of the merger of Arrotex and Apotex, to create Australia’s largest generic pharmaceutical and private label OTC business, successfully implementing a unitranche debt structure.
    • Deutsche Bank AG (London and Sydney Branches) on the debt financing of Resolution Life Group's A$3 billion acquisition of AMP Life.
    • The lending syndicate for the Destination Brisbane Consortium on the $1.6 billion debt funding for the Queen's Wharf Brisbane integrated resort development.
    • The lender syndicate in connection with the A$3.5 billion debt facilities to fund the Snowy 2.0 pumped-hydro power station project.
    • The lenders on the A$1.08 billion refinancing of the Sydney Desalination Plant.
    • The syndicate of lenders on the A$950 million refinancing of Port of Newcastle’s syndicated debt facilities, including a new innovative green loan and sustainability linked loan structure of Port of Newcastle’s existing syndicated facilities, one of the first of its kind in the Australian market.
    • ANZ Bank and Mizuho Bank on the refinancing of Capella Parking’s A$141 million QE II Medical Centre carpark PPP in Perth.
    • A syndicate of lenders on the A$550 million refinancing of the corporate debt facilities of NT Airports on a common terms deed platform.

    John is recognised in the Hall of Fame for Banking and Finance.

    The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023-2024

    John is recognised as a Leading Individual in Project Finance.

    THE LEGAL 500 ASIA PACIFIC 2021-2024

    John is ranked Band 1 in Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance.

    THE LEGAL 500 ASIA-PACIFIC 2024

    John is ranked Band 1 in Banking & Finance: Corporate Finance.

    THE LEGAL 500 ASIA-PACIFIC 2024

    John is ranked Band 2 in Project Finance.

    THE LEGAL 500 ASIA-PACIFIC 2024

    John was ranked in Band 1 for Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance and Corporate Finance. He is also recognised in the Project Finance category

    Chambers Asia-Pacific 2023

    John was recognised in the areas of Asset Finance Law, Aviation Law, Banking & Finance Law, Construction/Infrastructure Law, Distressed Investing & Debt Trading, Energy Law, Equipment Finance Law, Insolvency & Reorganization Law, Leveraged Buyouts, Private Equity Law, Project Finance and Development, Structured Finance Law, Trade Law & Venture Capital Law.

    BEST LAWYERS 2024

    John was ranked in Band 1 for Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance and Corporate Finance. He is also recognised in the Project Finance category.

    Chambers Asia-Pacific 2022

    John was named as “Lawyer of the Year” for Project Finance and Development Practice

    BEST LAWYERS 2022

    John was named as “Lawyer of the Year” for Distressed Investing & Debt Trading.

    BEST LAWYERS 2021

    John was ranked Band 1 for Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance and Banking & Finance: Corporate Finance.

    Chambers Global 2021

    John is recognised as a “Distinguished Practitioner” in the area of Banking and finance.

    ASIALAW 2021

    John was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Banking & Finance.

    BEST LAWYERS 2020

    John was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Asset Finance Law.

    BEST LAWYERS 2019