PFI/PPI

Tughans has an established PFI / PPP practice having advised the successful bidder for the first PFI project to be signed in Northern Ireland at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Since then, the Projects team has been involved in the major PFI/PPP projects in Northern Ireland and has developed a completely integrated service advising on all aspects of projects and project finance. Our experience ensures that we are well placed to advise bidders, sponsors, investors, government, local authorities and lending institutions.

Our team has advised both public and private sector clients including developers, contractors, authorities, operators and banks and financial institutions in a broad range of PFI / PPP sectors.

Since 1996, we have gained considerable experience in the health sector, acting for a number of local Health Trusts. Recently, we acted as lead advisors for Altnagelvin Hospitals Trust in connection with the procurement of a pathology and laboratory service centre at Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Londonderry which reached financial close in June 2005.

We also have an established track record in the ICT, Education, Roads, Accommodation and Urban Regeneration sectors having secured advisory roles in Project Causeway (the Northern Ireland Civil Service e-HR project), Bangor and Comber Schools project, the Westlink Project (DBFO Roads Package One), Project Steps and Ilex Urban Regeneration Company Limited.

We have advised on all aspects of projects from the initial structuring and tendering process to the implementation of funding arrangements from traditional senior debt financing, to privately placed bond funding and publicly listed wrapped bond funding and financial close.

Through experience we have developed commercial approaches to the PFI/PPP process and know what is required to make a project bankable and deliverable within pressurised timescales. Acting for a wide variety of clients has enabled us to develop a keen sense of the issues which are significant to each party involved in a PFI / PPP Project.

Our Projects Team is supported by lawyers from specialist disciplines across the firm including Corporate, Employment, Planning and Commercial Property enabling Tughans to offer seamless advice on a project to project basis.

Our Experience includes:

Royal Group of Hospitals Car Park Project - advised the successful bidder in connection with this project which was the first PFI project to be closed in Northern Ireland-

Altnagelvin - acted for Altnagelvin Hospitals Trust in connection with the procurement of a pathology and laboratory service centre at Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Londonderry. Financial close June 2005

Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust - advised Craigavon Trust, Belfast City Hospital and all the hospitals in the Armagh and Dungannon Unit of Management in connection the contractual structure of the tender for the provision of laundry, linen garment rental and dry cleaning services-

Sperrin Lakeland - advised Sperrin Lakeland Trust on the provision of a managed telecommunications service to six hospitals and centres within its area-

Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust - acted for Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust in connection with its contract with BP Energy Limited to build additional boiler capacity at Craigavon Hospital and to operate, maintain and repair existing and new utilities plant and supply Craigavon Hospital's energy requirements-

Belfast City Hospital Cancer Unit - advised a shortlisted bidder in connection with its appointment as contractor to construct a Cancer Unit at Belfast City Hospital-

United Hospitals Trust - advised United Hospitals Trust on the property and construction aspects of the PFI Contract in connection with the new renal unit at Antrim Hospital-

United Hospitals Trust - advising on the procurement of a dialysis unit procured under PFI at Antrim Area Hospital-

Project Causeway - acted for Fujitsu on the £32m electronic communications Causeway Project for all of the criminal justice agencies in Northern Ireland-

Driver Vehicle Testing Agency - acted as lead adviser to Siemens in the Driver Vehicle Testing Agency project to upgrade and maintain all vehicle test equipment in all MOT centres in Northern Ireland. This complicated and ground breaking project was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom-

Manchester Schools - acted for Hochtief Ireland Limited, the FM sub-contractor, on the Manchester Schools project for Wright Robinson Sports College-

Bangor/Comber Grammar Schools - acted for Hochtief Ireland, the FM Sub-Contractor to the preferred bidder on this DBFO contract-

Project Steps - acted as local adviser in Northern Ireland for the Inland Revenue and HM Customs & Excise in connection with the property aspects of accommodation outsourcing- Antrim Bus Station and Library Project - advised Karl Construction, a shortlisted bidder on the proposed Antrim Bus Station and Library-

Westlink Project - advised Highway Management (City) Limited in connection with the Westlink Project (DBFO Roads Package One) - DBFO Roads Package Two - currently advising the Billfinger Consortium in connection DBFO Roads Package Two in which it is one of the bidders.

Contacts:

John-George Willis, email: j-g.willis@tughans.com

Fearghal O'Loan, email: fearghal.oloan@tughans.com