Rob White

Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Australia

Sydney
Australia
T:+61 2 9330 8277
Sydney
Australia
T:+61 2 9330 8277
Rob White

Rob White

vCard

Biography

Rob White is an infrastructure and banking lawyer based in Sydney. His practice focuses on project finance, PPPs and general corporate finance work.

Rob has over 20 years of finance and concession experience on Australian PPPs, complex infrastructure transactions, and domestic and international project finance deals (including renewable energy over the past 5 years). During this time, he has advised government, sponsors, borrowers and financiers on many complex and landmark transactions in a wide range of traditional sectors, like roads, rail, airports, defence, education, health and social housing, plus solar and wind. Rob also has a strong profile and interest in the university sector and leads the Australian University team at Norton Rose Fulbright. He has acted for a number of tertiary institutions on complex student accommodation and precinct development transactions, including the University of Wollongong, ANU and Griffith University.

Rob has a broad range of finance and project skills developed from advising on a wide range of infrastructure and banking transactions. His 'cross over' expertise allows him to provide strategic advice to clients on complex contractual arrangements and legal issues, and his understanding of the key elements of large infrastructure projects helps him to achieve the best commercial outcomes for his clients.


Professional experience

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  • Admitted as a solicitor England and Wales 2001
  • High Court of Australia 2009
  • Supreme Court of New South Wales 2008

PPPs

  • Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone PPP – acting for an equity investor in relation to its participation in the bidding process for this landmark NSW transmission PPP.
  • Circular Quay Renewal PPP – advising the preferred bidder on the financing aspects of its engagement to finance, design, construct and maintain a major regeneration of Circular Quay in Sydney.
  • Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport PPP – acting for an offshore export credit agency in relation to its proposed $1.3bn debt funding to support a consortium's bid on this major transport transaction. 
  • Public Housing Renewal Program (Package 1) PPP – acting for the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation as lender in support a consortium's bid to participate in this social housing project in Melbourne.
  • NSW Social and Affordable Housing Fund PPP - acting for a syndicate of major Australian banks in relation to the debt financing solution provided in support of a consortium's bid on this pathfinder transaction.
  • Toowoomba Second Range Crossing PPP, Qld - advising the Nexus Consortium (Plenary / Acciona / Ferrovial) in respect of its successful bid for this project. 

Project Finance (including renewables, infrastructure privatisations and asset sales)

  • Lal Lal Wind Farm – advising the bank group on its refinancing of this 228MW wind farm in Victoria.
  • Ararat Wind Farm – acting for the lenders on post-financial close issues in relation to this 240MW wind farm in Victoria.
  • Sunraysia Solar Farm - advising the sponsor, Maoneng Australia, on the development and project financing of the 255MW Sunraysia Solar Farm near Balranald in southern New South Wales – winner of the 2019 Project Finance International (PFI) Award's Asia Pacific Solar Deal of the Year.
  • East Rockingham Waste-to-Energy Project – acting for lenders on post-financial close issues on this 300,000 tonne-per-annum facility in Western Australia.
  • Fiji – Vanuatu Underwater Cable, South Pacific - acting for Interchange (as borrower) in relation to the project financing of a submarine cable system between Fiji and Vanuatu. 

Precincts & Urban Regeneration Projects

  • Waterloo Estate Renewal Project – acting for a major developer as a shortlisted bidder on its proposal to develop 3,000 social, affordable and private dwellings on this inner city site in Sydney.
  • Western Sydney University Werrington campus – advising a major developer on the redevelopment of the Penrith campus to include approximately 2,000 dwellings, 18,00m2 of commercial and retail floor space and over 26ha of open space and public realm contributions.
  • La Trobe University's 'City of the Future' development – acting for a consortium on its bid to act as master developer of La Trobe University's $5b masterplan development in Bundoora, Melbourne.
  • University of Wollongong - acting in relation to the development of a circa 11 hectare Health & Wellbeing Precinct on UOW's Innovation Campus in Wollongong, involving the provision of retirement living, aged care, childcare and commercial facilities over a 99 year lease period.

University student accomodation projects

  • University of Tasmania Student Accommodation Project - advising a consortium on its bid to refurbish the University of Tasmania's portfolio of student accommodation, provide long term facilities management and to 'purchase' student rents and over revenues over a 30 year concession period.
  • University of Wollongong - lead adviser to UOW in relation to the landmark financing and development of new student accommodation facilities on the city campus and the provision of long term facilities management to UOW's portfolio of student accommodation in Wollongong.
  • Australian National University - advising ANU in relation to its student accommodation project and outsourcing of hard facility services.
  • English