G+T helps secure funding for Queensland solar farm project

The Haughton Solar Farm Project has received first state financing from a syndicate of banks advised by a team from Gilbert + Tobin.

The $160 million funding for Pacific Hydro’s project will enable the generating and connecting of 100 megawatts (MW) to the Queensland’s electricity network. The full project is expected to generate up to 500MW.

G+T’s team was led by banking and infrastructure partner Simon Lynch and consultant Will McCann.

“We are delighted to have been able to advise Pacific Hydro’s financiers on this milestone solar farm project,” said Lynch. “The Gilbert + Tobin team was able to bring to bear its long-standing experience in major renewables project development and financing and achieve a tailored funding package for Pac Hydro and its lenders.”

Lynch and McCann were assisted by lawyers Ehren Terenyi, Lindsay Crawford and Dylan Gardner.

Ashurst advises on off-market takeover of Atlas Iron
A team from Ashurst has advised Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd on its off-market takeover of Atlas Iron Limited by its subsidiary Redstone Corporation.

A previously announced proposed scheme of arrangement, under which Mineral Resources Limited would acquire all the Atlas shares was not supported by Fortescue Metals Group which had a 19.9% stake in Atlas.

Fortescue sold down part of its stake in the course of Redstone’s offer in June and ultimately accepted the Redstone offer in respect of the remainder.

With an increased offer price, Redstone achieved voting power of 88.25% in September, triggering the conditional increase in the offer price, and later announced that it had achieved relevant interests in Atlas shares of more than 90%, positioning it to proceed to compulsory acquisition of the balance.

The Ashurst team was led by corporate partners Roger Davies and Antonella Pacitti, assisted by lawyer Jacob Carmody.

Why Harry Potter is inspiring Indian lawyers
A law school in India has introduced a new course based on the fictitious boy-wizard Harry Potter.

Kolkata's National University of Juridical Sciences is offering the course to senior students and has already reached its maximum 40 students for the December start.

Professor Shouvik Kumar Guha told the BBC that he designed the course to encourage creative thinking and will include topics around social and class rights where parallels will be drawn between Indian society and, for example, the house-elves in the Potter books