Profile of Kate Towey

Kate Towey

Partner, Sector Leader, Real Estate

About Kate Towey

Kate is a leading corporate and M&A specialist with significant experience advising on large and complex processes and transactions. She has been involved in a wide range of public and private transactions and has deep experience particularly in property, infrastructure and government. Her practice also includes extensive and strategic capital partnering and equity capital markets transactions.

She leads the Real Estate Sector at Allens and sits on our Clients & Pursuits Committee. Kate is a member of the Global Investment Committee of the Property Council of Australia, the Corporations Committee of the Law Council and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Significant matters include:

  • Charter Hall/PGGM – on the acquisition by trust schemes of arrangement of the dual ASX/JSE listed Irongate Group.
  • KKR, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and PSP Investments – on the consortium’s $5.2 billion acquisition of Spark Infrastructure by way of inter-conditional creditor scheme and trust scheme.
  • NSW Treasury – on the initial $9.3 billion disposal of the State’s 51% interest in the WestConnex Project in 2018, and the subsequent $10.6 billion sale of its remaining 49% interest to Sydney Transport Partners.
  • Stockland – on the successful process to divest its retirement living business to EQT Infrastructure.
  • Charter Hall / Abacus Property Group – advised the CHAB consortium on the proposal to acquire Australian Unity Office Fund by way of a trust scheme, and associated panel proceedings.
  • Unibail-Rodamco – on its $32.7 billion acquisition of Westfield Corporation by way of interconditional company and trust schemes, the listing of the new Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield stapled group on the ASX, Euronext Paris and Euronext Amsterdam and associated demerger scheme and listing of One Market Limited on the ASX.
  • Investa Office Fund – on its response to the competing A$3.3 billion proposals from Oxford Properties and Blackstone Real Estate; the proposed management internalisation joint venture and earlier A$2.98 billion proposal from Cromwell Property Group.
  • Brambles – on its dual-track US$2.5 billion separation by demerger scheme or trade sale of the IFCO RPC business, ultimately sold to Triton and ADIA.
  • BAE Systems – on the acquisition of ASC Shipbuilding from the Commonwealth of Australia to support the Commonwealth's $35 billion Hunter class frigate shipbuilding program for the Royal Australian Navy, including the structure of Australia's first 'sovereign share'.
  • NSW Treasury – on the sale and 99-year lease of TransGrid to the NSW Electricity Networks consortium.
  • NSW Treasury – on the on the sale of Pillar Administration to Mercer.
  • BrisConnections – advised the lender-appointed Receivers and Managers of BrisConnections on the sale of the AirportlinkM7 tollroad for $1.87 billion to the Transurban Queensland consortium.
  • APA Group – on its US$5 billion acquisition of the QCLNG Pipeline, and associated $1.8 billion capital raising.
  • CrossCity tunnel – advised KordaMentha on the receivership and $475 million sale of the CrossCity tunnel.
  • GPT – on the establishment, IPO and ASX listing of the GPT Metro Office Fund and subsequent competing bids for GPT Metro Office Fund.
  • KordaMentha – on the A$618 million sale of the CLEM7 tunnel.
  • GPT - on its $2.99 billion takeover bid for Commonwealth Property Office Fund, and on its proposal to Australand for its $2.75 billion portfolio of office & industrial properties.
  • Nuplex – on the acquisition of Nuplex Industries Limited by Allnex by scheme of arrangement.
  • Leighton Holdings – on its response to the $1.115 billion proportional takeover bid by HOCHTIEF.
  • Billabong - on its response to numerous takeover and recapitalisation proposals from various private equity parties concluding in its recapitalisation by Centerbridge and Oaktree.