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Darren Anderson

Expertise

Darren specialises in the following areas within the property industry:

  • large scale property and business transactions, comprising due diligence, acquisitions, disposals and financing of those transactions in commercial property, tourism and health and aged care sectors
  • commercial and retail leasing
  • structured community title development including mixed use development
  • liquor licensing and gaming
  • rural acquisitions and disposals.

Darren is listed in The Best Lawyers in Australia in the 2022 to 2025 editions for Real Property Law and in the 2023 to 2025 editions for Leasing Law. He is also recognised in the 2021 and 2024 editions of Doyles Guide as a recommended lawyer in Property & Real Estate Law for Queensland.

Experience

Darren has extensive experience in large scale property transactions, commercial and retail leasing, plain English drafting of property documentation, due diligence for acquisitions, disposals and finance transactions, structured community title developments, land valuation disputes and resumptions.

His recent major projects experience includes:

Major acquisitions and disposals

  • acted for the Nielson Group in the joint venture development with Cbus Property of 205 North Quay, Brisbane (48,000m2 NLA commercial office building anchored by lease to Services Australia) and the subsequent sale of the Nielson Group's 50% interest to Cbus Property (Project value in excess of $650million) (2022)
  • acted for listed property trust in the acquisition of a commercial office building in Adelaide, SA (value in excess of $90million) (2022)
  • acted for listed property trust in the acquisition of a commercial office building in Adelaide, SA (value in excess of $90million) (2022)
  • acted for a private family company in the sale of Brisbane CBD office building (10 levels) (value in excess of $80million) (2021)
  • acted for a private family company in the sale of 310 Ann Street, Brisbane (18 level office towner tenanted by the State Government and Alliance) (value in excess of $200million) (2021)
  • acted for listed property trust in relation to the sale of property, Angle Vale, South Australia (anchored by Bunnings) (value in excess of $45million) (2021)
  • acted for listed property trust in relation to the sale of office tower in Ipswich, Qld (anchored by the State Government) (value in excess of $120million) (2021)
  • acted for representative of industry super funds in relation to the sale of 100 Creek Street, Brisbane (24 level office tower in Brisbane CBD) (December 2021 – value in excess of $150million)
  • acted for an Australian REIT in relation to the sale of a retail homemaker centre at Morayfield (May 2021 – value in excess of $25million)
  • acted for an Australian REIT in relation to the purchase of a mixed use health centre at Morayfield (Morayfield Health Hub) (2021 – value in excess of $100million)
  • acted in the due diligence and subsequent acquisition of 400 George Street, Brisbane (value in excess of $520 million). This involved separate acquisition agreements with co-owners of the property comprising a 50 per cent direct interest in the property and a 50% indirect interest in the property held via a unit trust and the collapsing of the dual structure
  • acted in the land and asset acquisition of a major retirement village, North Turramurra, New South Wales (value in excess of $50 million)
  • acted in the sale of a 50 per cent interest in a commercial office tower in Chatswood, New South Wales to a US investment fund for a value in excess of $100 million including the negotiation and finalization of:
    • Co-Ownership Agreement
    • Asset Co-Ordination Agreement
    • Property Management Agreement
    • Development Management Services Agreement
  • acted in the sale of a cold storage logistics facility in Direk, South Australia for a value in excess of $60 million
  • acted in the acquisition of 310 Ann Street, Brisbane including subsequent lease up and then the disposal in 2021 of the property for a value in excess of $210 million
  • acted in the due diligence of a $1.5billion commercial property portfolio held in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth including:
  • reviewing leases in respect of major CBD properties in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth
  • undertaking and reporting on due diligence search enquiries in respect of those properties
  • reviewing and advising on co-ownership agreements
  • reviewing and advising on easements and statutory covenants
  • acted in the disposal of a 50 per cent interest in the Northpoint Tower, 100 Miller Street, North Sydney (value in excess of $300million)
  • acted on behalf of developer in the lease up and subsequent sale of Santos Place (32 Turbot Street, Brisbane) to Malaysia’s largest fund manager for more than $280million
  • acted in the sale of 313 Adelaide Street, Brisbane (value in excess of $90million)
  • acted in the sale of 286 Sussex Street, Sydney (value in excess of $50million)
  • acted in the sale of 527 Gregory Terrace, Brisbane (value in excess of $30million)
  • act in the sale of Bundall Corporate Centre on the Gold Coast (value in excess of $80million)
  • acted in relation to the acquisition or disposal of a number of prominent retail and commercial investment properties in Queensland, including 300 Ann Street; 229 Elizabeth Street; 46 Charlotte Street; 10 Browning Street, South Brisbane; The Mathers Centre, Queen Street; 127 Creek Street; 355 Queen Street; Terrace Office Park, Fortitude Valley and Taringa Central in Brisbane; 1 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise; and Mt Sheridan Plaza, Cairns.

Commercial and retail leasing

  • acting for Nielson Properties as co-owner with Cbus of 205 North Quay, Brisbane and its lease to Services Australia (NLA approximately 43,700m2)
  • acted on behalf of the landlord in relation to the lease of a Brisbane CBD property (Queen Street) to a major luxury goods brand
  • acted on behalf of the landlord in relation to the lease of 299 Adelaide Street, Brisbane to the Department of Immigration (Cth)
  • acted on behalf of the developer in the lease up of Santos place, 36 level commercial office tower in Brisbane CBD with a NLA of 34,000+M2, including the lease to the anchor tenant, Santos
  • acted on behalf of the landlord in relation to the lease up of 310 Ann Street, Brisbane including leases to the 2 major tenants – Allianz and the State of Queensland
  • acted on behalf of the landlord in relation to the lease to Woolworths, Spring Hill Marketplace.

Rural

  • acted for the seller in the disposal of one of the largest sheep stations in Australia, a 500,000 hectare plus holding in south west Queensland
  • acted on behalf of the proposed tenderer for the Kidman property portfolio (value in excess of $350 million). This included negotiating and finalising:
    • joint venture agreement with Chinese JV partner
    • bid documentation to acquire the Kidman shareholding.

Project finance

  • providing structural advice and review of finance documentation for the funding of a property investment portfolio (excess $100 million).

Health

  • acted on behalf of the HCA Group in relation to the merger of that group with Nova Health Limited, as a listed health group. The work included:
        • project managing the legal aspects of the sale of the HCA Group to Nova
        • reviewing and advising in relation to finance documentation associated with the transaction
        • drafting contracts, leases and other associated documentation in respect of the transfer of property assets from HCA to a relevant property trust and the lease back of those properties to Nova.

Residential and mixed use developments

Acted in relation to the development and strata title of the following developments:

  • Mon Terre Ridge Estate (flat land development Sunshine Coast)
  • The Hub Apartments (Fortitude Valley)
  • South Central (South Brisbane)
  • The Capitol Apartments (South Brisbane)
  • Baxter St Apartments (Fortitude Valley)
  • Admiralty Towers (Brisbane CBD)
  • Rothbury on Ann (Brisbane CBD – Heritage listed)
  • Royal Albert (Brisbane CBD – Heritage listed)
  • Royal Harbour (Nite Markets and All Suite
  • Strata Hotel) (Cairns)
  • Manor Apartments (Newspaper House) (Brisbane CBD – Heritage listed).

Liquor licensing and gaming

  • acted in the acquisition of the Cairns Court House Hotel and its subsequent resumption
  • acted in the acquisition of the Normanby Hotel, Brisbane.

Renewable energy

  • reviewing and advising on existing solar and wind farm option, lease and easement documentation granted in relation to large pastoral holdings, on behalf of buyers of the holdings
  • acting for solar and wind farm tenants in renegotiating aspects of their long-term leases with the land owners
  • conducting extensive due diligence on behalf of an experienced solar and wind farm project operator, in relation to the acquisition of several projects. The projects included both existing operations, and those still under option with the landowners. The due diligence involved examination and critique of all existing lease, option and contract documentation and all usual aspects of property due diligence.


Publications

20 September 2023 - Knowledge

A balancing act: New termination process for uneconomic community title schemes

#Property, Planning & Development

We discuss the proposed reforms introduced to the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld), with a focus on the new termination process for uneconomic community title schemes.