Justin Lucas
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
Related services and key industries
Biography
Justin Lucas is a commercial real estate lawyer based in Melbourne with more than 25 years' experience.
He acts on infrastructure projects and capital transactions (including forward funded office building developments), real estate development, trading and related advice. He handles development agreements, joint ventures, complex leases, real estate divestment, acquisition and due diligence. He has particular experience and interest in the healthcare sector, energy projects and rural assets.
Clients describe Justin as a smart lawyer who thinks outside the box, intellectual but able to solve problems in a pragmatic fashion and as providing timely advice. He is also described as having "a considered and technical approach which he applies in an extremely commercial way. He always understands what the business is trying to achieve" according to Chambers Asia Pacific, 2020 (Australia, Real Estate).
His key clients include BP, Investa, Calvary Care and Caydon Group.
Professional experience
Collapse all- High Court of Australia 1994
- Supreme Court of Victoria 1993
- Hassad agri sale – the sale of multiple farm aggregations in Victoria, South Australia, NSW and Western Australia at a price reported to exceed AUD$400 million.
- 60 Collins Street, Melbourne – advised the Reserve Bank of Australia on the tender process and sale of its headquarters at 60 Collins Street, Melbourne.
- MYOB office – acted for a developer on a fund through agreement for the development of headquarters for MYOB in Melbourne, Australia at a price reported to be in excess of AUD$100 million.
- General Motors – a programme for the sale of a portfolio of former manufacturing sites in Victoria and South Australia to separate buyers.
- Hume Anglican Grammar School – the acquisition of an eight ha site for the development of a school in a growth area.
- Victorian Government – the sale of properties acquired by the State of Victoria for the now abandoned East West Link road project.
- 699 Bourke Street Melbourne – acted for US Pension Fund TIAA-CREF on the sale of a 50% share in a leasehold office building at a price reported to exceed $100 million.
- Student Accommodation – the acquisition of a development site at 480 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne for student accommodation, a joint venture, structured financing arrangements and successful on sale of the site.
- Stockland – the acquisition of a substantial development site in Port Melbourne.
- Urbanest – a project for the development of a student accommodation facility in the Carlton Connect initiative at University of Melbourne.
- BP – the AUD$1.8 billion acquisition of 527 leasehold service stations throughout Australia from Woolworths.
- 567 Collins Street, Melbourne - a AUD$462 million deal to purchase and forward fund the development of a 27 storey premium grade office building at 567 Collins St, Melbourne.
- Minta Farm – the sale of a 115 ha portion of Minta Farm (urban fringe development land) by private tender at a price reported at $150 million to $200 million.
- Blue Sky – acquisition of two student accommodation development sites in central Melbourne.
- 150 Collins Street, Melbourne – the fund through acquisition of 150 Collins St for the development of a 12-15 storey premium grade office building AUD$180 million.
- English
- Swedish