Anna Bailey

Special Counsel

Qualifications: LLB, BA, Dip Leg Prac

Practices

Anna has over 14 years’ experience practising in property law, with significant expertise in managing high volumes of conveyancing work, and is highly experienced in all types of conveyancing matters.  She works on large-scale off-the-plan sales for property developments.  In 2020 Anna and her team completed roughly 350 off-the-plan conveyancing transactions.

Experienced in acting for local councils on their property development matters, Anna has acted and advised on land sales for unpaid rates.  She has also acted for institutions such as Roads and Maritime Services in relation to acquisitions for road purposes, and conveyancing transactions for Ausgrid including leases, licences and easement work.

Anna also regularly advises on commercial conveyancing, strata acquisition and sales, all types of leasing and licensing, easements and restrictive covenants.  She undertakes commercial leasing and licensing for clients including the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation (HCCDC) and the McCloy Group of companies.

Experience

  • Acting for Hunter Development Corporation (now part of HCCDC) over a period of time in relation to its tender processes for the disposal of development sites in the Honeysuckle precinct in Newcastle. Reviewing tender documentation, drafting and negotiation of disposal documentation such as conditional Contracts for Sale, Project Delivery Deeds, Public Domain Deeds, and Options (including options to buy back).
  • Acting for Port Stephens Council in relation to sales of residents’ principal place of residence due to unpaid rates, in many cases whilst still in residence. This required a sensitive and strategic plan in relation to executing an effective transaction.  Advising on and preparing leases and licences for Council, which included dealing with Crown land.
  • Acting for developers Tamba Group and Parnell Group on the acquisition of a number of major commercial buildings in the Honeysuckle precinct including the acquisition of the $25 Million commercial building at 24 Honeysuckle Drive and the $23 Million acquisition of 251 Wharf Road, Newcastle. These acquisitions involved extensive due diligence.
  • Conveyancing transactions for Roads and Maritime Services in relation to acquisitions for road purposes through the Hunter New England area. RMS appreciated Anna’s approach to a sometimes sensitive area which accompanied the acquisition of a client’s principle place of residence.
  • Working with partner Katrina Reye on undertaking the complete portfolio of staged land release and conveyancing for a number of residential estates for the McCloy Group, which comprises roughly 400 off-the-plan conveyances each year. The work included preparing and finalising development management agreements, land acquisitions and subdivisions, negotiations with local councils and all subsequent documentation.
  • Acting for Ausgrid in a range of conveyancing transactions, drafting, negotiating and finalising leases, licenses and easement work for major and minor infrastructure work throughout the Hunter New England Area.
  • Acting for Winarch Capital in off-the-plan conveyancing for a residential estate, Highland Green. Meeting a tight timeframe, there was a quick turnaround of contract preparation and exchanges, high standard of service and results based approach.
  • Sole legal practitioner servicing the Toronto Workers Club, Elements of Toronto Retirement Village. Preparing leases, licences, deeds of loans and other speciality documents required under the Retirement Villages Act.  The Club appreciates Anna’s responsiveness to this sensitive area, which is frequently updated.

Awards and recognition

2019 runner up Newcastle Business Club junior business person of the year
Legal 100 2019
Top 100 lawyers of the year property law

Professional Membership

  • Law Society of NSW
  • GenX Women’s Business
  • Board member, Northern Settlement Services
  • Board member, Connectability Australia
  • Member and previous committee member Newcastle Business Club
  • Business Chicks NSW
  • Member Greek Community of Newcastle
  • Member NSW Property Council Hunter Chapter

Latest thinking

Property & Projects | 6 Dec 2019

New requirements for off the plan contracts for the sale of land

Changes to off the plan contract laws will apply from 1 December 2019. This means for any off the plan contract for sale entered into on or after 1 December 2019, you will need to comply with the new laws.