Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
I have over 30 years of legal and corporate experience on both sides of the Tasman, but there is still something new every day. I start practising law in NZ over 30 years ago and have been Sydney-based since 1981. My professional experience spans major law firms such as Middletons Moore & Bevins and Freehill Hollingdale and Page, a boutique corporate advisory operation in the Salisbury Group, and now my own law firm, specialising in the resources and land use sectors. I have extensive experience with major transactions involving acquisitions and divestments of companies and business assets, capital raisings, establishment and structuring of licensed banks, investment houses and mining companies, and acting for lenders and borrowers in major financing transactions. I have had some great professional experiences, such as leading the team on the pioneering conversion of a cooperative building society to an ASX-listed licensed bank, through acting for the European bank financing Robert Holmes a Court’s attempt to take over Trans World Airlines (it didn’t come off!) to participating in a Australian team advising the Nigerian government on the diversification of that country’s resources industry. Within my particular specialty areas of mineral resources and land use, I have acted for mining companies, coal producers, oil exploration and production companies, property developers, land owners and financiers. I also deal with the many day-to-day issues that are an essential part of business life, and am happy to assist with those as well the more specialist transactions. I am a member of the NSW branch of the Australian Mining and Petroleum Lawyers Association, a past committee member of the NSW branch of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia, and a current member of the Underground Coal Gasification Association. I've been a director of public-listed companies in the petroleum and coal industries, and am a past President of the Aust-NZ Business Council.
Bringing together the professional experience and expertise of the firms previously run by myself and Alyssa Antcliffe. At Antcliffe Scott we focus on business law & law for people in business. We always strive to achieve the best outcome possible for you and your business by doing what we do best.
As the founder and principal of Neil Scott Lawyers I believe that successful business is based on successful business relationships. At Neil Scott Lawyers, we help our clients achieve their objectives and get their deals done as effectively and successfully as possible. Our firm has a particular focus on the mining and resources sector, and the allied areas of property, land use and corporate law. However we also have ample experience across a wide range of business areas and can provide commercial law assistance across the business spectrum. Whilst we are Sydney-based we have strong strategic alliances that enable us to assist clients throughout Australia and overseas. To see how Neil Scott Lawyers can help you, get in touch with me today.
Syngas Power is an Australian energy company focussed on the commercialisation of projects utilising safe and clean syngas produced from in-situ gasification of deep un-mineable coal. As Chief Legal and Commercial Officer I am part of the team assisting the CEO in the development of the business. In particular I manage the legal aspects within Australia and internationally, in relation to potential projects a number of countries, including China, Japan and the UK.
Salisbury Group was a small corporate advisory firm that operated across the Tasman, with offices in both Australia and New Zealand, and a focus on the technology, mining and resources industries. As Director I undertook and managed various legal functions across the corporate advisory and investment banking sphere. Salisbury ceased formal activities in 1999, but the principals continue to work together on a project-by-project basis.
I joined the firm in 1982 and became a partner in 1985. During my time with the firm I acted on a range of commercial and corporate transactions, but with particular involvement in the finance ad resources sectors. My time with the firm coincided with the Hawke government’s major deregulation of the banking and finance sector. As part of that I led the legal team that acted for the conversion of the NSW Permanent Building Society to Advance bank, which in turn merged with St George bank and is now part of the Westpac Group. This was the first time in Australia that a building society had made the transition to a publicly listed company and licensed bank.