• • ENI (Italian multinational oil and gas company) which is locked in a battle with Sedco Forex, an arm of Transocean, over the failure of a drilling rig campaign off the Australian coast, causing delays and resulting in significant loss to ENI. • BNP Paribas and Natixis on the co-underwritten refinancing of the EMR Golden Grove Mine (mining copper, lead, silver, zinc and gold) for EMR Golden Grove Pty Ltd as borrower. • Pilbara Minerals on the establishment of a new, low-cost senior secured debt facility for US$110 million (approximately A$154 million) provided by leading international bank, BNP Paribas, and Australia’s specialist clean energy investor, the Clean Energy Financing Corporation (CEFC). The finance facility also includes a US$15 million working capital facility with BNP Paribas. • Mineral Resources Limited (MRL) on the restructure of its manganese assets (Sunday Hill and Ant Hill manganese projects). Pursuant to the restructure, MRL transferred these assets to ASX-listed Resource Development Group (RDG) by way of an asset sale in exchange for a 75% shareholding in RDG. • Pilbara Minerals on the acquisition of Altura Mining’s lithium operations. Acquisition of the Altura Project creates the largest, independent hardrock lithium mining and processing operation in the world, with available offtake capacity. What kind of pro bono work does the firm engage in? A&O is very active in the pro bono space, both globally and here in Australia. In Australia, we have established a committee comprised of staff
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from the Sydney and Perth offices that are dedicated to community volunteering and building our pro bono practice. All staff have the option of regularly donating to our global partner Hope and Homes for Children. A&O’s Perth office has also built relationships with other local Western Australian organisations such as The Salvation Army and Edmund Rice Camps for Kids. The Salvation Army Our established partnership with The Salvation Army continues to thrive and we continue to participate in a number of events and fundraising activities with The Beacon. The Beacon offers crisis accommodation, case management and a range of other support services to people experiencing homelessness. In 2020, we continued to support The Beacon Restorative Lifestyle Program (RLP), presenting sessions as part of the RLP. These sessions provide advice and guidance on how to prepare for formal situations, such as job interviews or applications for housing, and focus on personal image, standing out and making a good first impression. The Beacon aims to provide its clients with a clear path back to selfreliance and independence, a key part of which is the RLP, which gives clients of the Beacon skills they can draw on once they have re-entered the community. The feedback that we have received continues to be very positive and the residents actively participate in discussions, ask questions and openly share their personal experiences. Edmund Rice Camp for Kids Our new partnership for 2021 and beyond is with Edmund Rice Camps for Kids WA Inc (ERCKWA), and we look forward to a long standing relationship with the organisation. This partnership
provides A&O Perth with an opportunity to support a local non-profit communitybased organisation that serves the needs of children aged 7-16 and their families. ERCKWA provides camps and other recreational and developmental activities for children who would not otherwise have such opportunities, supporting kids who are ‘at risk’ or experiencing some form of disadvantage. We are also a stakeholder on the Law Access advisory committee overseeing the Western Australian Law Access clearing house, a system designed to help people obtain pro bono legal assistance in areas of law where there is limited or no assistance available from Legal Aid or any other agency.
CLERKSHIP INFORMATION During which period do you offer clerkships? We will be running one program during summer break in Nov/Dec 2021 How many clerkship positions are available for 2021? 5-8 What tasks do clerks usually undertake? During the program you will gain practical experience in one of our practice areas, where you will work alongside A&O partners and lawyers on real deals, disputes and other client matters. Before you join us, we will ask you to indicate the areas that most interest you – this is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in an area of law that really appeals to you. In addition to your legal work you will attend training sessions and presentations aimed at broadening your understanding of our business and helping you to develop the skills you need to be a successful commercial lawyer.
