Current Practice

James Pettigrew is a Director of Greenwoods & Freehills Pty Limited.  He holds Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Sydney.  He is an associate of the Taxation Institute of Australia and has been admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

 

James joined Greenwoods & Freehills Pty Limited in July 1991 and was appointed a Director in July 1998.

Industry Experience

James advises on a wide range of corporate tax matters and goods and services tax for clients primarily in the finance, infrastructure, property and funds management sectors.

 

In relation to the financing sector, this has included advising on cross-border leasing arrangements, domestic leveraged leasing arrangements, public offerings of securities and the development of various debt and equity financial products including derivative instruments, instalment warrants and hybrid financing products.  Major cross-border leasing matters include advising NSW Treasury Corporation in relation to leases of various public infrastructure assets and Queensland Treasury Corporation in relation to substitutions of  railcars under existing crossborder leasing arrangements.

 

James also provides advice to the funds management industry.  This has included advising in relation to the initial establishment of the stapled DUET funds managed by AMP and Macquarie Bank and their subsequent acquisition of a majority interest in the Dampier to Bunbury natural gas pipeline.  James was also the tax advisor to the Deutsche Bank – managed listed property trusts in relation to the stapling of those trusts to create the DB RREEF Trust Group.  James has also advised the Macquarie Goodman group on the proposal to create a stapled property group in relation to industrial assets.

 

James also has experience in the infrastructure area, having advised in relation to the financing aspects of major projects, including the infrastructure borrowing arrangements for the Melbourne CityLink and the Brisbane Airtrain project.  James has also advised the RTA in relation to privatised roadways and the Federal Government in relation to the sale of the Sydney Airports Corporation.

Professional Background

James has lectured for The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, the Taxation Institute of Australia and in the University of Sydney Masters Degree Programme.  He has been published in the Australian Law Journal and Taxation in Australia.