Allan is an experienced banking and finance lawyer. His finance expertise includes corporate lending, asset-based finance, project and acquisition finance, securities including the Personal Property Securities Act, as well as international trade finance and treasury (ISDA) transactions. For a number of years, Allan was Head of Legal in Australia for the major French bank Société Générale. Subsequently Allan was in private practice with one of Sydney’s oldest firms, Pigott Stinson.
Allan also has a varied commercial and business law practice, comprising acting on sales and purchases of businesses, drawing up shareholder, joint venture and supply agreements, advising on all aspects of trust law, and acting for NSW registered clubs on contractual and constitutional matters.
Expertise
Asset-based-finance, leasing and other secured transactions:
- for both private and public entities,
- either as principal funder or wholesale borrower,
- involving IT hardware, software and service contracts, as well as mining equipment, office chattels and motor vehicles,
- via limited recourse loans, principal & agent agreements, master rental programs, sales of receivables and other funding techniques.
- Corporate loans and borrowings for companies and not-for-profits such as registered clubs
- Project and acquisition finance – including short term or bridging loans, long term limited recourse facilities, and syndicated facilities
- Personal Property Securities Act, other securities and related revenue law advice
- Company, competition, consumer credit laws and miscellaneous statutory interventions such as privacy and money laundering
- Private client services such as shareholder and joint-venture agreements, sale of business, international trade, consulting and contractor agreement
Experience
- Advising an Authorised Deposit-Taking Institution with regard to a capital restructure.
- Limited recourse loan facilities for various wholesale borrowers and various unlisted financiers, and in which financing sector SG Equipment Finance became a market leader.
- Large scale asset financing programs for various items of business equipment for computer vendors.
- Multi-million US dollar secured loan facility for mining equipment supplied to overseas mines.
- Cross-border wholesale funding lines to New Zealand-based financiers.
- Motor vehicle master operating lease facility between Australia and New Zealand.
- implementing an Authorised Deposit-taking Institution’s regulatory capital restructure as well as advising another client on anti-money laundering laws.
- Engaging with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority and presenting to syndicated financier committees and financial services mediators.
Recognition
- Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales (1973-77)
- Masters in Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management (1985-1986)
- Diploma in Finance from the Securities Institute of Australia (1989)
Career
| 2015 | Keypoint Law | Consulting Principal |
| 2008 – 2014 | Pigott Stinson Lawyers | Special Counsel |
| 2005 – 2007 | Maccallum Lawyers | Director |
| 2003 – 2005 | SG Australia equipment finance division (“SGEF”)| External Legal Advisor |
| 1997 – 2003 | Société Générale Australia Branch | General Counsel |
| 1994 – 1997 | SG Australia Limited (SGAL) | Principal Legal Counsel |
| 1990 – 1994 | SG Australia Branch (SGAL) | Legal Manager & Assistant Company Secretary |
| 1987 – 1990 | SG Australia Branch (SGAL) | Credit analyst: project finance, capital markets and securitisation |
| 1987 | East-West Airlines, Sydney | Regulatory analyst contractor |
| 1985 – 1986 | Australian Graduate School of Management (at UNSW) | Full-time MBA |
| 1983 – 1985 | Flower & Hart (now K&L Gates), specialisation: property & leasing | Solicitor |
| 1981 – 1983 | Feez Ruthning (now Allens Linklaters): property & leasing | Solicitor |
| 1978 – 1981 | Queensland Alumina Limited, Brisbane | Management trainee |