DLA Piper has advised Hawkins Group Limited as part of the Future Schools Partners (FSP) consortium, which has won the contract to compete the New Zealand Schools II Public Private Partnership (PPP).
 
FSP also includes Morrison & Co’s Public Infrastructure Partners fund (PIP Fund) which is providing equity, Programmed Facility Management, who are providing facility management and ASC Architects, who is leading the design team. Hawkins Group will design and construct the new facilities.
 
The schools included in the PPP project include Ormiston Junior College in Auckland, Aranui Community Campus and Rolleston Secondary School in greater Christchurch and Wakatipu High School in Queenstown. The Auckland and Christchurch schools are due to open in 2017, followed by Queenstown in early 2018.
 
DLA Piper previously advised Hawkins Group on the Hobsonville Point Schools PPP, which was the first PPP in New Zealand to reach financial close.
 
The DLA Piper team was led by partner Alex Guy with assistance from senior associates Jose de Ponte and Kim Broadbent and solicitor Kate McKenzie. Partner Lyndon Masters and solicitor Steph Papadapoulos also assisted in relation to the equity documents for Hawkins Group's investment in the new project company.
 
Alex Guy said of the project: "We are proud to be part of the Hawkins and FSP team that will deliver these state-of-the-art educational facilities as part of New Zealand's second school-related PPP."