David Baker

“I first met David in 1990 when I joined the investment banking team at Deutsche Bank. By then David was already well established within that organisation as a managing director and team leader of one of the bank’s key teams. I quickly formed the view that his experience and demeanour meant he was a great guy for me to learn from and work with. Such was my respect for his talents that at various times in later years I have reached out to David to assist and join me on some exciting and challenging endeavours. A few are worthy of comment. First, in 1999 I found myself tasked with finding funding of some A$1.5bn for a major production facility, I immediately retained David as lead adviser on the funding. This required him to lead and work closely with a large number of people from different organisations and backgrounds; the complexity was immense. Needless to say he completed what was to be acknowledged as the project finance deal of the year in 2001. Then in 2003/4 when my partner and I were establishing Gryphon Partners, a boutique M&A resource advisory house, we invited David to join our team and drive the growth of the Sydney office. The whole experience was very positive for all of us and culminated in the sale of our business to Standard Chartered Bank in 2011 and a continuing working relationship for David and I for a number of years under that umbrella. Over an extended period David has demonstrated to me his ability to grasp new challenges and manage complex negotiations skilfully. He has a unique ability to draw parties together. He knows how to get things done and deliver a positive outcome in the most difficult of situations.”

Creagh O’Connor, Co-founder Gryphon Partners

“I worked with David as a senior adviser to the Olympic Co-ordination Authority on the procurement program for the Sydney Olympics. David demonstrated a mature understanding of PPP principles in the public tender program for a number of Olympic facilities and was a key member of the OCA team in the negotiation of bespoke risk sharing principles. He displayed a keen appreciation of the needs of all stakeholders that needed to be accommodated in the commercial arrangements and was persuasive in advancing solutions to issues on which the parties were not initially aligned.”

John Shirbin, Partner, Clayton Utz

“I worked alongside David for more than 3 years during my time as Chairman of Strike Energy and was struck by how he proved time and time again a unique ability to successfully manage complex situations and personalities.”

Mark Carnegie, Principal, M.H. Carnegie & Co

“I worked closely with David Baker for several years as part of a small team led by David at Lafayette Mining Limited. The team was charged with restoring value to a deeply troubled corporate situation, against a backdrop involving a high level of uncertainty and a very complex set of commercial and political challenges. David’s innate negotiating skills, combined with his good humour, integrity and intelligence, resulted in all stakeholders being fairly and reasonably treated under tremendously difficult circumstances. Based on this experience, I have no hesitation in recommending his Dispute Resolution (Mediation) and Dispute Management services to prospective clients.”

Jeff Quartermaine, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Perseus Mining Limited

“I am delighted to attest to David's deep knowledge and understanding of complex financing transactions and project financing principles, and to his ability to bring together parties with conflicting interests. That is based on our working together on a wide variety of deals but doubtless the most memorable and challenging was the project financing of A$1.8 billion Stanwell Magnesium Project. David was able skilfully to negotiate and reconcile the diverse aims of the sponsors, the technology developer, the international automotive major acting as foundation customer, equity underwriters and both international and domestic project financiers in an arduous process culminating in the signing of the financing of this innovative project and the launch of an IPO. This was a huge effort requiring all of David's stamina, diplomacy and good humour as well as his acute understanding of where lines have to be drawn and firm positions taken.”

Phillip Cornwell, Senior Finance Counsel, Allens Linklaters