Keshni Maharaj

Palisade Impact Fund: Advised Palisade Impact Fund on the acquisition of Repurpose It, a waste management business with a mission to eliminate waste and pollution through closed loop resource recovery, on the key income tax considerations in relation to the proposed acquisition structure.  

Cambridge Social Infrastructure Fund: Advised Cambridge Real Estate Partners as manager of the Cambridge Social Infrastructure Fund in relation to the establishment of a managed investment trust eligible investment holding structure to carry out the investment strategy of an offshore fund which manages real estate funds to invest in real estate or real estate related assets in the Asia Pacific Region.

Intera Renewables: Advised Intera Renewables from a tax perspective on its agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Limestone Coast North Battery Energy Storage System from Pacific Green Technologies for an enterprise value of A$460 million. The Intera Renewables platform is managed by Palisade Investment Partners.

Pacific Equity Partners: Advised private equity funds managed and/or advised by Pacific Equity Partners' Secure Assets Funds team in relation to the acquisition of a 50% stake in Opal HealthCare, Australia’s largest residential aged care provider, valuing the business at A$2 billion.

Intermediate Capital Group: Advised ICG Funds on its acquisition of the Australian hospital provider Cura Day Hospitals from German-owned healthcare company Fresenius Medical Care.

Uniting Church of Australia: Engaged by the Church to advise on its Burwood Spire Project; a transaction that involved advising on the stamp duty, land tax and council rates of the project.

Atmos Services Pty Ltd: Engaged by Atmos Services as tax advisor in relation to Atmos' acquisition of Wild Cattle Hill Wind Farm.

Sydney Metro West: Advising Sydney Metro on the acquisition and development strategies for land on which the SMW line is being constructed, line wide and station frameworks packages, innovative over-station development strategies for residential, commercial and retail developments, and placemaking of the stations precincts across the new SMW line.

Wyloo Consolidated: Advised Wyloo Consolidated, a wholly-owned portfolio company of Tattarang, on its successful A$760 million on-market takeover offer for Mincor Resources NL.

Leading Australian Infrastructure Group: Advised a leading Australasian infrastructure and real asset group on its A$128 million acquisition of an 85% interest in a major data centre business.

Macquarie Bank Limited: Advised on all stamp duty aspects of Macquarie Bank Limited's acquisition of the assets forming part of the Esanda business from ANZ Banking Group.

APLNG: Advised APLNG on Queensland related stamp duty issues in respect of APLNG's acquisition of a company which held ATP's from Origin Group.

China Investment Corporation: Advised on CIC's acquisition of nine office towers in Australia from Investa Property Trust in what was the largest commercial real estate transaction in Australian history. The deal value was $2.4 billion.

Charter Hall Limited and Charter Hall Funds Management Limited - Property acquisitions: Regularly advises Charter Hall and Charter Hall managed funds on stamp duty issues across all jurisdictions.  More recently Keshni has advised Charter Hall on the establishment of its new wholesale fund WPS N1, the Deep Val Partnership Trust and also on its acquisition of the Chifley Tower Trust from GIC for approximately AUD $1 billion.  Keshni also provides Charter Hall with stamp duty advice on an ongoing basis in relation to intra-fund property transfers, the setting up of new funds and in relation to capital raising.

Saputo: Keshni advised Saputo in relation to its acquisition of various dairy farm assets from Murray Goulburn.

Western Sydney University: Advised Western Sydney University on the stamp duty aspects of the development of a new precinct in Parramatta in joint venture with a private entity.

New Forests: Advised on the stamp duty aspects of the acquisition of the Great Southern Forestry assets as well as on the acquisition of Gunns Timber Products and other Gunns assets from the Receivers and Managers. This included making detailed submissions to the Victorian, Tasmanian, Western Australian and South Australian Commissioners. More recently, in 2019 and 2020 Keshni has advised New Forests on its acquisition of forestry assets in Western Australia and Tasmania.  

Woolworths: Advised on Woolworths' $120 million acquisition of various hotels across New South Wales which involved complex lease and transfer arrangements. 

New Forests forestry funds: Advised in relation to the establishment of various forestry funds (including the Green Triangle Forest Trust) and in relation to the acquisition of various property and forestry assets.

Barangaroo Delivery Authority – Barangaroo Project: Advised on the stamp duty aspects of the Barangaroo Project.

Commonwealth Government: Advised in relation to the development of the second Sydney airport at Badgery's Creek for over $2 billion.

Parramatta City Council: Advised Parramatta City Council on the stamp duty aspects of the development of Parramatta Square.

NAB, CBA and ANZ: Advised key lenders on all aspects of mortgage duty on various transactions, including on enforceability of securities, reviewing securities to ensure that historical stamping was done correctly before lender's appoint receivers and managers.