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Profile of Michael Graves

Michael Graves

Partner, Practice Leader – Real Estate & Development, BSc LLB (Hons)

Melbourne

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About Michael Graves

Michael leads the Real Estate and Development team at Allens. He specialises in commercial property development and infrastructure projects. His expertise includes advising public and private sectors developers, investors and financiers.

Michael also has extensive experience in the area of renewable energy having advised some of Australia and the world's leading renewable energy companies on the development of hydrogen, battery, solar and offshore and onshore wind farms throughout Australia.

Michael is consistently recognised in various client and peer surveys as a leading individual in Real Estate, including in Chambers Asia Pacific and Best Lawyers. The Chambers Asia Pacific guide described Michael as "very proactive, hard-working, innovative and solutions-driven".

Michael’s professional honours also include:

  • Chambers and Partners, Notable Practitioner, Real Estate;
  • Best Lawyer, Real Property, The Australian Financial Review's Best Lawyers: Australia
  • Leading VIC Property & Real Estate Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide
  • Precincts Committee Member, Property Council of Australia, Victoria Division

Michael's experience includes:

Commercial Property
  • Aware Real Estate – on the acquisition and development of build to rent projects.
  • Cadillac Fairview – on the establishment of a fund to deliver build to rent projects throughout Australia.
  • Rest – on its acquisition of a one-third stake in Sydney's $3 billion Quay Quarter Tower.
  • Rest – on the establishment of a fund to develop logistics projects throughout Australia.
  • David Jones – advising Woolworths Holdings on the sale of the David Jones business and leaseback of its flagship store at Elizabeth St, Sydney and Bourke St, Melbourne.
  • Development Victoria – 
    • on its Fitzroy Gasworks urban renewal project;
    • on its Revitalising Central Dandenong urban renewal project; and
    • on a range of residential projects, including Aurora, Altona, Avondale Heights, Officer, Parkside, Riverwalk, Springvale, Valley Lake and Tower Hill.
  • Scape – on its purpose built student accommodation led over-station mixed use development as part of the Melbourne Metro Rail Project, including the negotiation of a value capture deed with the State.
  • Four Seasons Hotels – on the management agreements for the luxury hotel and private branded residence to be developed as part of $2 billion STH BNK by Beulah mixed use precinct.
  • KKR – on the acquisition of Arnott's, including the contemporaneous sale and leaseback of Arnott's Australian manufacturing facilities in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
  • CBRE Global Investors – 
    • on the acquisition, development and ongoing leasing of 118 Mount Street, North Sydney;
    • on the acquisition, development and divestment of a portfolio of Bunnings hardware stores across Australia; and
    • on the acquisition, leasing, re-development and divestment of 120 Spencer Street, Melbourne.
  • ExxonMobil – on the sale of Esso House and the development and leasing of its Australian head office premises at 664 Collins Street, Melbourne.
  • Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK) – advising German pension fund BVK and Universal Investment Gesellschaft mbH in relation to the acquisition and ongoing leasing of South Wharf Tower.
  • Peters Ice Cream – on the sale to Charter Hall and leaseback of the Peters Ice Cream food processing, warehouse and administration facility located in Mulgrave, Victoria.
  • Goldman Sachs – on the establishment of a new $1.5 billion student accommodation joint venture with Blue Sky Private Real Estate and the development of student accommodation facilities throughout Australia.
  • British Columbia Investment Management Corporation – on its entry into a joint venture with Pamoja Capital Group to invest in student accommodation assets.
  • Campus Living Villages – the operation and proposed divestment of a portfolio of purpose built student accommodation projects.
  • Google – on its Australian premises strategy, including its head office accommodation and the establishment of their drone facility in Canberra, ACT.
  • Brookfield – on the property aspects of its $1.3 billion takeover of retirement living operator, Aveo Group.
  • SCA Property Group – advising Woolworths in relation to the $1.4 billion demerger of SCA Property Group.
Renewable energy
  • Acciona Energy – on the development of wind and solar farms throughout Australia, including the development of the 1GW Macintyre Wind Farm.
  • Macquarie Capital/ENGIE – on the development of the Hazelwood Battery storage project.
  • Meridian – on the  $729 million sale of Meridian’s Australian business comprising the retail business, Powershop Australia, and infrastructure assets including Mt Mercer and Mt Millar wind farms, Hume, Burrinjuck and Keepit hydro power stations and development assets.
  • John Laing – on the $285 million sale of its Australian wind farm assets, comprising interests in six different assets across South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
  • Metka – on the development of solar farms throughout Australia.
  • Stockyard Hill Wind Farm (Vic) – on the acquisition, development and sale of this 500 MW project.
  • Moorabool Wind Farm (Vic) – on the development and sale of this 320 MW project.
  • AGL – on the sale of its 102 MW Nyngan (NSW) and 53 MW Broken Hill (NSW) solar plants and its 200 MW Silverton Wind Farm (NSW) to the Powering Australia Renewables Fund.
  • Macarthur Wind Farm (Vic) – advising AGL and Meridian Energy Limited on the development and divestment of the A$1 billion Macarthur Wind Farm project.
  • Granville Harbour Wind Farm (Tas) – advising Westcoast Wind in relation to the development and divestment of this 109MW project.
  • Bald Hills Wind Farm (Vic) – advising Mitsui on the development and financing of its Bald Hills Wind Farm project.
Infrastructure
  • Marvel Stadium – on the development and operation of Etihad Stadium, including the integration of the stadium with numerous mixed use developments to be carried out on land adjacent to the stadium.
  • Esso – on the Longford Pipeline Replacement Project. involving the construction of a $400 million, 187 km pipeline to transport crude oil and condensate between its facilities at Longford and Long Island Point.
  • Sydney Desalination Plant – advising Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and Hastings in relation to the acquisition of the Sydney Desalination Plant.
  • Privatisation of Melbourne's passenger rail system – advising the Victorian Government on the privatisation and re-franchising of Melbourne's train and tram networks.
  • SP Ausnet and Jemena – advising State Grid International Development Limited on the acquisition from Singapore Power International Pte Limited of:
    • 19.9 per cent of the stapled securities in SP Ausnet, an ASX-and SGX-listed Australian entity that builds, owns and maintains regulated electricity transmission and electricity and gas distribution assets in Victoria; and
    • a 60 per cent interest in SPI (Australia) Assets Pty Limited, a private Australian company trading as Jemena that builds, owns and maintains gas distribution and transmission, electricity, distribution and water assets in Victoria, Queensland, NSW and the ACT.