Seamus Gunson

Profile

Seamus is a Partner in our Melbourne property team with more than 16 years   experience in providing advice on all aspects of commercial and industrial property, including sales and acquisitions, leasing, due diligence, subdivisions and industrial developments. 

Seamus’ clients include leading property trusts and corporations, investors, landlords, tenants and property developers. Seamus has worked with property related clients from Asia and Europe for the past 12 years. 

Major projects on which Seamus has been engaged include:

• Advising large property trusts in relation to industrial estates, business parks and commercial office developments.  These transactions include leasing, sales and acquisitions which require liaising with multiple parties nationwide (including financiers), project managing transactions to ensure that documentation complies with relevant state-based legislation and managing client expectations and requirements through to settlement;
• Acting for large property trusts in numerous sales and acquisitions in excess of $100 million;
• Acting for joint venture parties in relation to a structured finance purchase and leaseback of major industrial sites across Australia.  This transaction involved nine parties including financiers and transaction advisors.  The lease was restructured due to the takeover of the ASX listed tenant by two ASX listed companies and was triggered by terms and conditions in the lease documentation protecting the Landlord’s rights in the event of a takeover of the tenant;
• Advising on the restructure of a national bookstore which attracted intense media and public interest due to the high profile of the client and the circumstances surrounding the transaction.  Advice included the assignment of leases for all stores Australia-wide and required liaising with the commercial and insolvency team who were also advising on the matter;
• Advising the Australian-based operations of a global real estate, investment management and property financing organisation in relation to the development, leasing and sale of business parks;
• Advising a major commercial, industrial, retail and industrial property developer in relation to the development and sale of multiple business parks and mixed use developments;
• Advising a high profile global telecommunications business on their national property requirements including commercial property, retail leases and subleases with franchisees.  This required liaising closely with the client’s General Counsel to ensure the advice was consistent with the company and brand values; and
• Advising a major insurer in relation to their Australia-wide property requirements particularly relating to leasing.