Follow us

David assists clients with real estate mergers and acquisitions, investment, development, leasing and joint ventures.

David helps clients to navigate their most significant real estate transactions in Australia and Asia. With a particular focus on real estate mergers and acquisitions, investment, development, leasing and joint ventures, clients rely on his market knowledge and expertise to negotiate complex real estate deals.

Leading investors, developers, funders, trusts, occupiers and corporates seek David’s advice on real estate matters, with the confidence he will offer commercially sound advice to best suit their circumstances. 

David assists clients throughout the property lifecycle, from real estate financing and acquisition to all aspects of the development and disposal of a property. By developing an intimate knowledge of his clients and their assets, David offers seamless advice that is suited to the individual client’s needs.

David acts for clients on acquiring, developing and disposing of prime commercial, retail, residential and industrial sites and on complex large-scale regeneration, infrastructure and energy development projects. He also assists clients to establish appropriate structures for holding and developing various sites, including commercial office buildings, business parks, shopping centres and suburban developments.

Consistently regarded as a leading real estate lawyer in the market (Chambers Asia Pacific, Best Lawyers, Doyles), David also leads a team consistently ranked at the top of its game (Real Estate Band 1, Chambers Asia Pacific; Real Estate Tier 1, Legal 500).

Clients value David’s industry knowledge and his approach to providing legal advice, described by clients as “world-class”, “fantastic” and someone who has a “very in-depth knowledge of the market”.

Experience & expertise

Selected matters

  • Macquarie Group in relation to its unsolicited proposal to the NSW Government for a fully integrated station/over station development solution for the new Sydney Metro Martin Place Station – the first project of its kind to commence in Sydney’s CBD
  • Healthscope on the A$4.4 billion sale of its business to Brookfield and the sale and leaseback of its property portfolio, consisting of 22 hospitals to NorthWest Healthcare and Medical Properties Trust
  • Vicinity Centres on the portfolio sale of 10 shopping centres to SCA Property Group, and the sale of one asset to a private investor, with the total aggregate price for the assets approximately A$631 million
  • APG Asset Management on its acquisition of a 25% interest in Confidential client’s business. The transaction covered all components of the Retirement Living business, including ownership of the established retirement village portfolio, the operating platform that manages the portfolio, the business’s development capabilities and associated development pipeline
  • Jinding Australia on the expansion of its development portfolio, comprising three separate broadacre subdivision purchases of sites at Armstrong Creek, Junction Village, and Wollert
  • Rail Projects Victoria on all property aspects of the $12 billion Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project, including land acquisition and compensation matters, access to land, statutory interpretation, road management issues and interface with utilities, as well as the oversite development aspects of the project
  • Scape Australia on its establishment and rapid expansion into the Australia market, including acting on the acquisition of eight properties throughout Australia for the purposes of developing student accommodation, totalling over A$150 million
  • Confidential client on its $4.5 billion, 30-hectare Victoria Harbour development at Melbourne’s Docklands
  • Waterfront City Developments (ING) on the sale and leasing of retail, commercial and residential lots within the Waterfront City precinct at Melbourne Docklands.