Chris Keane

Clayton Utz Special Counsel , Brisbane Work T +61 7 3292 7587 cell [email protected] https://www.claytonutz.com

Chris Keane is a sought-after legal adviser for the development, financing, procurement and delivery of major infrastructure projects, including PPPs. He assists clients throughout the life of these significant projects, including with the business case, project structuring, tender formation and evaluation, contract preparation and negotiation, delivery and claims.

He is well regarded for his assured and calming influence, and for his precise drafting skills, particularly when it comes to complex issues. Having been involved in many of Australia's most recent transport infrastructure developments, Chris can give clients up-to-the-minute legal advice on current market positions.

Chris has been involved in many of the most significant infrastructure projects undertaken by Federal, State and Local Government in recent years. The expertise he has developed has been invaluable across a wide range of projects, including road, rail, tunnel and airport infrastructure.

Apart from his project work, Chris advises a number of the firm's key corporate and banking clients on a broad range of joint ventures, finance and security arrangements, corporate finance and debt capital market fundraisings. Chris has an appreciation of the pressures faced of clients through the invaluable insight he has gained working in-house on secondments at Vale and City North Infrastructure Pty Ltd.

Recognition

IFLR 1000: ranks Chris as a notable practitioner (2018-2022)

Qualifications

Bachelor of Commerce, University of Queensland (2002)
Bachelor of Laws (Hons), University of Queensland (2004)
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Queensland University of Technology (2005)

Admitted to practice

Queensland (2005)
High Court of Australia (2007)

Expertise

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Construction and Major Projects

Chris has been a member of the core teams involved in the development, financing, procurement and delivery of many recent road, rail, tunnel and airport infrastructure projects in Australia. In Queensland, Chris has advised on major projects such as Cross River Rail, the ETCS Inner City Project, the Inner City Bypass Upgrade Project, the Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade Project, the Toowoomba Bypass, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Village, Legacy Way, Airport Link and Clem 7.

In Victoria, Chris has been advising on the North East Link Project. In NSW, he was a member of the core team that advised on the Western Sydney Airport, the WestConnex Motorway Project Stage 3 (M4-M5 Link), the WestConnex Motorway Project Stage 2 (M5), the WestConnex Motorway Project Stage 1 (M4) and the NorthConnex Motorway Project.

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Project Finance

Chris offers insight into the various types of finance arrangements and funding methods adopted on infrastructure developments and the risk allocation acceptable to the market from his involvement on recent major projects in Australia.

He has also advised on the joint venture, finance and security arrangements for numerous projects in the energy and resource sector. These projects have included the Australia Pacific LNG Project, a Central Queensland Coal Project, the CopperString Project and a US$225 million financing agreement for the construction of a rare earths project and processing plant in Australia and Malaysia.

Chris has also advised on the sales of Queensland Motorways Limited (in relation to the Gateway and Logan Motorways), Legacy Way and Go Between Bridge, and the Cross City Tunnel.

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Banking and Finance

Chris has advised many of the firm's key corporate and banking clients in regard to banking and financing arrangements, including corporate borrowings, guarantee facilities and security documentation. These clients have included Anglo American, Peabody Energy, CS Energy, Hastings Deering, Felix Resources Commonwealth Bank of Australia, NAB and Bankwest.

Chris has also advised a number of banking and corporate clients on their wholesale debt capital markets fundraisings, both domestically and offshore. These clients have included Suncorp, Bank of Queensland and Holcim.

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Knowledge

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