Pacific region

Pacific region

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Dentons has supported clients’ work in the Pacific regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia for over 50 years. Our Papua New Guinea office has operated since 1969 and a number of our partners have spent significant parts of their career in the region and maintain qualifications across a number of Pacific countries. Alongside Papua New Guinea, Dentons’ Pacific region offering is further bolstered by legal experts based in Australia and New Zealand.

Clients benefit from our comprehensive understanding of Pacific nations’ customs, Governments and the broader regulatory environment across the region. We regularly work with a selection of handpicked local law firms “on the ground” who provide local sign off for Dentons in other Pacific jurisdictions.

We bring long standing and strong relationships with key stakeholders across the region who are involved in major projects, transactions and disputes, meaning we are uniquely placed to advocate clients’ positions and manage your commercial and strategic needs.

In addition to our legal work, we participate in the region through our involvement with major business and industry associations operating in the region. Consultant Ian Clarke OBE is president of the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council and an executive member of the Australia PNG Business Council.

Dentons is the leading global law firm in the wider Pacific Rim, serving 84 markets in Pacific Rim countries, including offices on the west coast of the US, Indonesia, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Key experience

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat: Advising on the governance and operational structure of the Pacific Resilience Fund, a fund to support countries in the Pacific region in responding to natural disasters.
Cook Islands Financial Development Authority (Cook Islands Finance):
- Advising on the development of a new innovative trust legislation to create a statutory form of trust known as the Cook Islands international relationship property trust ; and
- Advising on amendments to the Income Tax Act 1997 to change the tax residency test for Cook Islands companies to ensure compliance with international tax policy and the OECD BEPS requirements.
Santos: Advising Santos on all of the PNG aspects of the Santos all-scrip merger (through a PNG court approved scheme of arrangement) with Oil Search. This included advising on the involvement of, and interaction with, PNG courts, securities law matters, regulatory (PNG Securities Commission and IPA), competition (ICCC), due diligence, and Santos’ PNGX listing (as an exempt foreign entity). Dentons took the lead role in steering the transaction through the competition regulatory regime and the PNG Securities Commission – approvals or exemptions had to be obtained from both prior to the deal being unconditional.
Various clients: Acting for NZ Government and large contractors across a number of projects in the Solomon Island, Vanuatu, Fiji, Palau, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea on the construction of key energy, mining, water, transport and social infrastructure projects.
Confidential: Advising on the Fijian regulatory environment in respect of a fibre-optic submarine cable in the Pacific Ocean.
Kina Bank: Acting for Kina on its acquisition of Westpac’s Pacific Business (ie PNG and Fiji) as well as assisting on a capital raising on both the ASX and PNG.
Various clients: Undertaking significant roles for the D&C Contractor, FM Contractor and or SPV on the PPP Projects that have been undertaken in New Zealand, including a number in the Schools, Prison and Transport area to financial close. We are continuing to advise on a number of these PPPs during the construction and maintenance phases of the project.
Digicel Pacific Limited: Acting as a PNG local counsel on the sale of Digicel Pacific Limited for up to $1.85 billion, its wholly owned subsidiary, to a subsidiary of Telstra Corporation Limited. The transaction, which remains subject to customary government and regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.
PNG Ports Corporation Ltd (PPCL): Acting on construction issues and internal management issues with respect to the extension of the existing Lae Port facility, and also advising on its dealings with the ICCC concerning the Ports’ Regulatory Contract.
National Fisheries Authority: Advising National Fisheries Authority, PNG’s sole fisheries authority, to review and propose legislative amendments to its existing legal framework in enabling the authority to compete within the fisheries market in PNG and to export tuna on a global scale.
Asian Development Bank: Advising Asian Development Bank on the implementation of a pilot program for the testing and creation of digital identification and access technology in PNG. This project is aimed at increasing and promoting access to financial inclusion to enable low-income, underserved and remote communities and populations to verify personal information so that they can access financial services in a safe and secure manner, enabling them to participate in meaningful business and employment opportunities. The project is also aimed at reducing instances of fraud and identify theft across PNG.

Insights

Unpacking the 2023 CSE amendments for current and prospective issuers

May 18, 2023

Effective April 3, 2023, the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE) has significantly amended (the Amendments) several of its listing policies (the Policies). The CSE listed issuers (Listed Issuers) and issuers applying for listing, should be particularly aware of the changes to the Policies summarized below.