Areas of Expertise

Corporate & Advisory, Mergers & Acquisitions, Restructuring & Insolvency, Energy & Resources,

Nicholas Antonas is an internationally recognised corporate lawyer with deep energy and resources transactional expertise.  He represents international and domestic companies and investment funds throughout their Australian investments, including asset and share level acquisitions and divestments, foreign investment clearances, farm-ins/farm-outs, joint ventures, project development, special situations and restructurings.

After starting his career at a leading Australian law firm, Nicholas spent over seven years at an international law firm in London, where he worked on a broad range of complex cross border energy and resources transactions, including market leading experience in restructurings and special situations in the energy sector, distressed energy M&A and cutting edge decommissioning matters. Nicholas was also seconded as interim general counsel of the FTSE 250 African downstream company Vivo Energy plc.

Nicholas has been recognised by Chambers UK as an associate to watch and by Euromoney as a rising star, including in their Expert Guides (2022) for Energy and Natural Resources in Australia.  He has co-edited the leading text on decommissioning law and has written and spoken extensively on energy and ESG matters, most recently at Australia’s Energy and Resources Law 2022 conference.

What others say

"Rising Star Australia - Energy and Natural Resources"
Euromoney Expert Guides 2022
"Rising Star UK and Europe - Energy and Natural Resources"
Euromoney 2019 - 2021
"Associate to Watch - Energy and Natural Resources"
Chambers UK 2018 - 2021

Experience

Premier Oil restructuring

Advising an ad hoc group of creditors of Premier Oil in connection with its US$2.7 billion restructuring and merger with Chrysaor to create Harbour Energy.

Vivo Energy

Seconded as interim general counsel to Vivo Energy plc, an FTSE 250 Shell and Engen licensee with operations across 23 African countries.

Discover Exploration

Advising Discover Exploration, a Carlyle-backed company, on its acquisition of Bahari Resources, owner of oil and gas assets offshore Comoros.

LUKOIL

Advising LUKOIL on multiple transactions including its A$220 million takeover proposal for ASX-listed FAR Ltd.

Oil, gas restructurings

Advising ad hoc committees on oil and gas restructurings and related divestments across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including Iona Energy, Noreco Energy, Gulf Keystone Petroleum, Afren, Seadrill, Hurricane Energy, PA Resources and Xcite Energy.

Decommissioning

Advising various oil and gas companies, offshore contractors, special situation investors and creditors on a wide variety of oil and gas decommissioning matters including with respect to trailing liability, decommissioning security agreements, alternative end of field life solutions and the resolution of liabilities as a condition to transaction approvals.