Carl Black advises public and private-sector clients on diverse property- and finance-related matters. He has a significant background in high-profile joint venture real estate developments across Western Australia (WA) including residential flat land development and affordable housing, city high-rise developments, and regional medical and community facilities. Carl is involved throughout the project, advising on joint venture establishment and incorporation, project financing and building arrangements, land acquisition, development management and finance procurement agreements, sales and marketing agreement suites, and proforma and customised lease and sales agreements.

Carl’s extensive experience in resource-based projects and financings includes advising joint venture participants in oil and gas projects in WA on worker accommodation and land tenure. He also has wide dealings with quarry operators on the construction of barging facilities, jetties and marine supply base facilities. Carl works with in-house counsel and commercial operators to document and execute transactions, ensuring project participants gain appropriate and tax-effective ownership rights.

His experience in airport operations includes the negotiation of aviation and non-aviation leases and licences, concessions for terminal building and air-side services, the sale and purchase of airports, Airports Act matters, corporate governance, negotiation of consultant agreements and managing portions of the master planning process for airport operations. Carl also assists regional airports in their infrastructure funding applications and the implementation of airport operator agreements.

He manages portfolios for large commercial property developers and asset owners in WA and oversees retail leasing in several central business district precincts.

Carl acts for both borrowers and lenders in the negotiation of construction facilities for development projects in WA. His deal negotiation work includes advising on building contracts, and the appropriateness of pre-sale and pre-leasing commitments needed for project feasibility.

Carl represents operators of liquor-licensed premises in WA in leasing, sale and purchase, due diligence and construction. He has participated in high-profile brewery and hotel acquisitions as well as high-value leasing and real estate asset sale and purchase deals. Carl also has commercial development expertise including adjoining owners and co-owner contracts and arrangements.

Carl is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Representative Experience

• Advising the Northern Territory Airports group – comprising Alice Springs Airport, Tennant Creek Airport and Darwin International Airport – on the recovery of aeronautical charges including supporting litigation of claims.
• Assisting Northern Territory Airports with several aspects of the Airports Act 1996 (Cth) including major airport development approvals, road openings, head lease area surrenders and consents to encumbrances on title.
• Representing Northern Territory Airports in the construction and operation of a hotel resort at Darwin Airport.
• Advising Northern Territory Airports on the acquisition of aerobridges, checked bag screening equipment, x-ray machines and communications equipment for AU$12 million.
• Advising St. George Bank on providing funding to joint venture borrowers for shopping centre developments in a residential subdivision.
• Acting for Babcock & Brown on developing Perth Capital Square.
• Acting for Rio Tinto in the acquisition of a leasehold interest in the Karratha workers camp.
• Representing the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in funding a borrower operating a carbon sequestration business and advising on taking security over carbon rights.
• Advising Perth Diocesan Trustees on the joint venture development and leasing of a medical facility in Joondalup.
• Acting for Babcock & Brown in leasing land for the construction of a gas-fired power station.
• Advising Woolworths Limited on the acquisition and settlement of hotels, bottle shops, taverns and public bars. Our services included the preparation of due diligence reporting, lease reviews and the preparation of purchase contracts for the businesses and assignment agreements for relevant leases and intellectual property.
• Assisting Xstrata, a global diversified mining group, in developing and documenting community benefits package agreements with the Northern Territory government as a condition of open cut mine operation approval.
• Acting for AGC Limited on negotiating and drafting mining engineering service and facility agreements with four Australia-based and three Singapore-based entities.
• Acting for Perth Diocesan Trustees in the redevelopment of the Cathedral Square precinct in Perth, which will improve the construction of a new multistory carpark, city library, office towers, hotel, piazza and public space.