Hunt & Humphry’s core sector focus remains in natural resources; mining and oil & gas. We have advised on the full spectrum of resources transactions, from greenfield mining developments to acquisitions and disposals to discrete tenure, land, environmental and native title issues.
Focus
Our experience extends to the complete range of resources with expertise in the oil & gas sector acting for developers and financiers in both upstream and downstream activities. We advise on acquisitions and disposals, concession arrangements, farm-ins, farm-outs, exploration, financings and general development.
Profile
The firm is rated in energy resources and infrastructure by Doyle’s Legal Guide and partners Michael Hunt and Melissa Watts are both individually rated, the former as one of only three in the “Pre-eminent” category. Michael has also been recognised nationally and internationally as a leading mining lawyer, regularly named as such in legal market surveys, such as the Financial Review’s survey of Australia’s top lawyers, the IBA’s “Who’s Who Legal – Mining Lawyers” and Asia Law Leading Lawyers.
Clients
We act for a wide range of clients including major mining and petroleum explorers and producers. We have advised companies such as BHP Billiton, Apache Energy, Newcrest Mining, Atlas Iron, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals, Barrick Gold, Minara Resources and Hancock Prospecting. We also act for clients ancillary to the resources industry including suppliers, government agencies (such as Western Australia’s Port Hedland Port Authority – operator of the World’s leading bulk commodity port), pastoralists, construction and service companies, property developers, mining industry associations, investors and other project stakeholders.
Members of our team have also acted for commercial lenders such as Standard Bank of South Africa, ABSA Bank, Nedbank Capital and development finance institutions such as African Development Bank, Development Bank of Southern Africa, DEG (Germany) and FMO (Netherlands).
Emerging Markets
The firm’s focus on mining and resources and the growing connection between Australia and emerging markets such as Africa and Asia, has resulted in Hunt & Humphry joining forces with leading emerging markets project finance and corporate law firm Trinity International LLP as a specialised projects and project finance team focussing on emerging markets, particularly Africa, Asia, and Australasia. With complementary practices in London, Johannesburg and Perth the team helps resource clients based in Australia/Asia by connecting them and their projects and transactions in emerging markets with the debt and equity capital in London/Europe and Africa whilst offering on-the-ground legal and corporate/commercial support and expertise in Australia, Europe and Africa. More+
