Current practice

Mark Breheny is a partner in Freehills' banking and finance practice, and is based in Melbourne. He joined the firm in 2002 after 18 years as a partner in the banking and finance section of another major law firm.

Industry experience

Mark's expertise is in structured and asset-based finance, project finance, property development and corporate finance. He acts for a range of financial institutions, financial packagers and borrowers, including public sector clients and leading Australian banks and investment banks.

Major projects and clients
Some major transactions in which Mark has been involved include the following:

• acting for financiers in the structured financing of key assets of CMS Energy's successful bid for the Loy Yang A Power Station
• acting for Allco as arranger of the structured financing of bulk carriers for BHP Transport
• acting for OASITO in the restructuring and unwind of the financings of Australian National and National Rail Corporation as part of their privatisation
• acting for Deutsche Bank as debt underwriter to Health Care of Australia's bids for the privatised Mildura and Berwick Hospitals
• acting for National Express in the financing aspects of its bid for the privatised Victorian passenger rail franchises
• acting for National Express in the procurement and related $800m financing of new rolling stock following its successful bids for Bayside Trains, Swanston Trams and V/Line Passenger
• acting for Computershare in the establishment of a $200m multi-currency facility
• acting for ANZ and Bank of America in the $600m financing of the acquisition by the Australian Railroad Group of Westrail Freight
• acting for Macquarie Bank as mezzanine debt provider and documentation bank in the $130m Beach Road development at Port Melbourne
• acting for the development joint venture (led by the Grollo Group) in the financing of the $400m Eureka Tower Project
• acting variously for lessors, lessees and arrangers in a range of tax-based leasing transactions including cross-border leasing.

Mark has worked on the financing aspects of a number of the Victorian power and hospital privatisations acting for bidders and banks. He has advised the Federal government's Office of Asset Sales and IT Outsourcing on the financing aspects of the privatisation of Australian National, and recently undertook a similar role in the privatisation of National Rail Corporation.

Mark has acted for National Express in the financing aspects of its successful bids for Swanston Trams, Bayside Trains and V/Line Passenger as part of the Victorian passenger rail privatisation. He subsequently acted for National Express in the procurement and related $800 million financing of new rolling stock for those businesses.

Professional background

Mark was admitted as a solicitor in 1977. He has completed Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws degrees at the University of Melbourne.

Mark has also recently been named in the banking and finance section of Chambers Global 2001-2002 edition of the World's Leading Lawyers.