Issue 6 2019

Acquisition International - Issue 6 2019 77 May19310 Representing a Reality in the National Legal Scene Addisons is a 141 year old commercial law firm, operating at the cutting edge of commercial legal practice, particularly in the areas of property and infrastructure development. Testimony to Harshane Kahagalle’s success is his recent nomination as an AI Leading Advisor for 2019 where he was recognised as the Leading Property and Infrastructure Development Lawyer of the Year, Australia. On the back of this win, we profile Addisons Lawyers, and Harshane provides us with a glimpse into the inner-workings of the services both Harshane and Addisons as a whole provide to their clients. ince their inception, Addisons’ purpose has been to work with their clients to deliver their projects and get their deals done, to bring their transactions and developments to a successful conclusion, or to equip them with the best practical legal tools to help their business be more successful. As such, the team at Addisons remove any roadblocks and hindrances, and never second guess or delay, but instead offer their clients advice which is designed to help make their business better. Harshane begins by going into further detail about the services the firm provides, noting on how the team at Addisons is able to offer clients exceptional advice. “Here at Addisons, we advise on a myriad of issues including competition and consumer law, employment law, gambling, IP, media, dispute resolution, property and environment and planning law. Allowing us to provide these services, is our team of over 50 legal practitioners, as well as our 20 partners. “Both the size and the flexible nature of our team projects allow us to tailor our services appropriately, enabling us to act for clients on some of the largest M&A transactions and development and infrastructure as well as providing value and commercial services on smaller day-today work.” Addisons is not conflicted by Government panels which means they are able to act on large development projects and compulsory acquisitions without conflicts, as Harshane explains. “Our practice is largely self-driven and not reliant on M&A and infrastructure projects that we are merely a part of. We act for many of the major corporate players such as Lendlease, Dexus, Mirvac and Stockland on their development projects. These clients come to us specifically for property and infrastructure development, environment and planning expertise. environment and planning expertise, not because we have a combined property or infrastructure panel approach.” The size and location of Addisons is a deliberate choice of the partners. When discussing the size of the firm further, Harshane is keen to highlight the overall mission of the firm, touching on how they want to deliver an outstanding service to all, regardless of size. “The fact that most of our partners have come from much larger firms with multiple offices is testament to their commitment to play a hands- on role in the operation and direction of the firm. The partners want to be able to ensure that all parts of the firm pursue the same levels of excellence as each of them individually does, in all aspects of our work.” Addisons has taken a counter-view to the downsizing trend in the property sector. Their Property, Construction and Environment team has grown substantially in the past five years, and their major project planning and development team is now one of the biggest in Sydney and is led by three market leading practitioners in Harshane Kahagalle, Penny Murray and Helen Macfarlane.. Harshane’s work involves advising on some of the most significant and high profile development projects in Australia. His expertise span property and infrastructure development; mining and resources; planning, environmental and administrative law matters. In addition to this, Harshane is currently acting for clients in landmark major project and environmental litigation on high value projects, and is also acting for clients in a number of test cases which are at the cutting edge of environmental and planning law litigation. Harshane’s strong litigation track record shows that he has helped clients to successfully secure and preserve billions of dollars in development rights in major project litigation. Looking ahead to what the future holds, the team at Addisons Lawyers will continue to deliver an impeccable service, which not only ensures that they meet the requirements which have been set by their clients, but also surpasses their expectations. Moving forward, both the team and Harshane hope to build upon the countless accomplishments they have achieved throughout the years, whether they are ones which recognising the firm overall or individual recognitions, such as Harshane’s success in AI’s Leading Adviser 2019 where he was awarded the accolade Leading Property and Infrastructure Development Lawyer of the Year, Australia. Contact: Harshane Kahagalle Company: Addisons Lawyers Address: Level 12, 60 Carrington Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia Telephone: +61 2 8915 1096 Web Address: www.addisonslawyers.com.au S