Baker McKenzie has strengthened its national Banking and Finance capabilities with the appointment of Miles Wadley as the Firm’s new Head of Project Finance based in Melbourne. Wadley joins as a partner after previously serving as a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and brings extensive expertise across infrastructure, power, and significant project transactions.
The appointment builds on a series of strategic hires by the Firm this year, including banking partners Hamish McCormack in Melbourne in July and Bryan Paisley in Sydney in February. The Firm also brought on a new Energy partner, Sarah Birrell, in Melbourne in October, following her tenure at Allens. Baker McKenzie has continued enhancing its multidisciplinary offering with further additions, such as Victoria Lanyon, who joined the Tax team in Sydney in November from King & Wood Mallesons. Earlier in the year, Dixon Header returned to the Firm as a Tax partner in Sydney after serving as Senior Director of Tax at Expedia Group. The Firm also internally promoted transactional lawyer John Coleman to partner in July in Sydney.
Wadley has accumulated a broad commercial background, including in-house experience and secondments with AustralianSuper and Transurban, as well as significant international exposure during his time at HSFK’s New York office. His arrival supports Baker McKenzie’s continued investment in energy, projects, and infrastructure work, which remain priority focus areas for the Firm.
Throughout his career, Wadley has acted on several high-profile matters across Australia’s energy and infrastructure landscape. His notable work includes advising Marinus Link Pty Limited on the A$3.8 billion project financing for Stage One of the Marinus Link interconnector project between Victoria and Tasmania, working with international lenders on a AUD 750 million green portfolio financing for ACEN Australia’s renewable projects, and advising HMC Capital on financing its acquisition of Neoen’s Victorian renewable assets. He has also worked with financiers on portfolio financing for Community Housing Limited related to its Queensland Housing Investment Fund initiatives, advised BBGI on the refinancing and restructuring of the Northern Territory Secure Facilities PPP Project in Darwin, and guided financiers on Australia’s largest Public Private Partnership to date, the AUD 11.1 billion North East Link PPP in Victoria. Past transactions also include advising Waveconn on its acquisition of the TPG towers business, as well as multiple financings and refinancings across major Australian and New Zealand renewable projects spanning wind and solar assets.
The addition of Wadley marks Baker McKenzie’s ongoing growth within high-demand segments of the domestic and international projects market, expanding the Firm’s ability to support sponsors, financiers, and corporates across large-scale infrastructure, energy transition assets, and complex capital structuring requirements.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are excited to have Miles join our Banking & Finance team to lead the Project Finance practice working with our Projects team as we continue to expand and strengthen our Energy and Banking & Finance teams nationally, each being key focus areas for the Firm globally. Miles provides a particular focus and expertise in infrastructure and power projects. From renewable power plants, transmission assets, social and transport PPPs, infrastructure privatisations and secondary market acquisitions, Miles regularly acts for sponsors, arrangers and financiers.”
“Miles has a broad commercial back ground with time spent inhouse and via secondments to AustralianSuper and Transurban. He also comes with significant international experience, having worked in HSFK’s New York office.”
Anne-Marie Allgrove, National Managing Partner, Baker McKenzie
