Brett Thornton

Oil & Gas

• Advising a UAE energy company on its acquisition and subsequent development of an upstream operating interest in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
• Advising a Japanese trading company in relation to the acquisition of an interest in the West Qurna 1 oil project in Iraq.
• Advising an international oil company on the proposed sale of more than a dozen upstream petroleum interests in several MENA region jurisdictions.
• Advising two international oil companies on their renegotiation of a Development and Production Sharing Agreement in Bahrain.
• Advising Ghazanfar Group on the acquisition and subsequent development of upstream oil and gas interests in Afghanistan.
• Advising an International oil company on its bid for and onshore oil concession in Abu Dhabi.
• Advising a US oil services company on a joint venture in Oman.
• Advising a US company on the acquisition of an upstream interest (exploration phase) in Malaysia.
• Advising Sojitz Corporation (as in-house counsel) on the disposal of an offshore petroleum interest in Brazil.
• Advising Pilot Energy on the disposal of an offshore petroleum tenement in Western Australia.
• Advising a Dubai based private equity fund on the proposed acquisition of upstream oil and gas interests in Pakistan.
• Advising an international oil company on its proposed participation in a government oil services contract in Iran.
• Advising a national oil company on an oil and gas joint venture in Syria.
• Advising an Indonesian oil company on the acquisition of an upstream interest (exploration phase) in Indonesia.
• Advising a Japanese oil services company on oil service contracting and procurement issues relating to a project in Iraq.
• Advising an International oil company, as operator, in relation to a default by a non-operator under a petroleum contract and joint operating agreement.
• Advising a junior oil and gas company on a corporate farmout of shale petroleum interests in Australia.

Project Development

• Advising the Republic of Iraq Ministry of Oil on the US$7b Iraq-Jordan Export Pipeline Project (BOOT project).
• Advising the Republic of Iraq Ministry of Oil on the US$17b Basrah Gas Project to capture and process gas being flared in southern Iraq.
• Advising Emirates Aluminium Company on all aspects of its development, construction, procurement and offtake agreements in relation to a US$10b aluminium smelter in the UAE, including electricity procurement and the development of a captured power source.
• Advising Orient Energy on the development of Denison Trough Project in Queensland, Australia.
• Advising Woodside Petroleum on the FEED and EPC for the onshore components of the Browse LNG Project.
• Advising CLP in connection with the Hong Kong Offshore LNG project.
• Advising an international oil company on its legal document suite for use in a newly acquired upstream oil project in Iraq.
• Advising an international oil company on its offshore platform EPC for use in a Middle East project.
• Advising a Spanish/Saudi consortium on its successful bid for the US$7b Haramain (Mecca to Medina) High Speed Railway Project in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising Mubadala Petroleum (as in-house counsel) on the front end development work for an FSRU project in Fujairah (United Arab Emirates).
• Advising a Saudi construction company on its proposed participation in the Riyadh Metro Project.
• Advising a UAE district cooling provider on the development of a chilled cooling plant in Bahrain.
• Advising a Middle East company in relation to several offshore rig lease and drilling services contracts in Libya.
• Advising an Indonesian energy company on its bid for an IPP in Indonesia.
• Advising a US based private equity fund on a proposed investment in an Australian LNG project.

Renewables

• Advising a multinational oil and gas company on the acquisition of its 49 per cent stake in ESCO Pacific, a utility scale solar farm developer in Australia.
• Advising an Asian conglomerate on the acquisition and development of its portfolio of solar development assets in Australia including its project development agreements, connection agreements, EPC, offtake agreements, FIRB applications and potential acquisitions of other solar projects.
• Advising a Japanese company on the construction aspects of the development of a rooftop solar power systems in Vietnam.
• Advising a Japanese trading company on a proposed acquisition of a solar project in Queensland, Australia.
• Advising a government investment fund on the development of rooftop solar power systems in Queensland, Australia, and their corresponding power purchase agreements.
• Advising a European utility company on the proposed acquisition of a portfolio of solar and wind projects across several states in Australia.
• Advising Snowy Hydro on its procurement of 400-800MW of renewable energy generation in Australia.
• Advising a Singapore based private equity fund on the due diligence, transaction documentation, and regulatory aspects of its acquisition of an imbedded network provider in Australia.
• Advising a European private equity fund on the proposed acquisition of an early stage wind project in Queensland, Australia.
• Advising a Joint Venture on the regulatory aspects of a proposed carbon capture and storage project in Australia.

Offtake and Marketing

• Advising a Japanese trading company on its spot sales agreements and master sale agreements for crude oil and petroleum products.
• Advising a GCC LNG importer on several LNG supply and swap agreements.
• Advising a Japanese trading company on the negotiation of a liquefaction and regasification tolling agreement for capacity in a planned LNG export facility in the United States, together with all related LNG sale arrangements.
• Advising a Korean energy company on a long term LNG supply agreement.
• Advising a Chinese power company on the establishment of an LNG trading business.
• Advising Sadara Chemical Company on the drafting and negotiation of several petrochemical offtake agreements.
• Advising Osaka Gas on its long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements for a US based LNG project.
• Advising a Junior oil and gas company on its long-term and medium-term gas supply contracts for a project in Queensland, Australia.
• Advising a Japanese energy company on its long-term LNG supply procurement using its existing spot master agreements.
• Advising several mining companies on their off-take agreements (spot/long-term) for copper concentrate and alumina.
• Advising Sojitz Corporation (as in-house counsel) on its coal supply and offtake agreements for Russian based coal projects.
• Advising an Indonesian oil company on a long-term gas sales agreement.

Corporate

• Advising a private equity fund on the acquisition of transport infrastructure in Western Australia
• Advising Travelport on the establishment of a legal presence in Saudi Arabia and Egypt and related incorporation, compliance and employment issues.
• Advising an Asian energy company on its participation in an auction process for the acquisition of a mid/downstream petroleum business in Australia.
• Advising a Japanese trading company on the corporate restructuring of its Saudi Arabian operations.
• Advising US manufacturer of silicon materials on its proposed development of a polysilicon plant in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising a Saudi Arabian industrial company on its joint venture with a US company to manufacture oilfield services machinery and equipment in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising a gas exploration JV company on manpower and outsourcing arrangements in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising an Asian trading company on its proposed participation in a petrochemical project in the United States.
• Advising an international dredging company on its taxation and employee pension compliance issues in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising a Dubai based private equity fund on a proposed acquisition of an upstream mining interest in Yemen.
• Advising a UK mining company on the establishment of a corporate presence in Saudi Arabia and the transfer of mineral tenement rights from local Saudi partner.

Regulatory/Dispute Resolution

• Advising the Republic of Iraq Ministry of Oil on the investigation of bribery allegations regarding award of energy service contracts in Iraq.
• Advising a Middle East government entity on the development of a legislative framework for its energy efficiency program including the establishment of a new governmental authority to oversee the drafting and implementation of such legislative framework.
• Advising an LNG trader on a dispute over termination of long term LNG SPAs.
• Advising a UK independent oil company on license and operating contracts, front-end litigation advice regarding several oil assets in Africa.
• Advising a Japanese corporation on its dispute with an automotive distributor in Nigeria.

• England and Wales

Court

• Supreme Court of Victoria
• Supreme Court of New South Wales