People

Overview

Michael is a leading international projects and transactions lawyer. Michael acts for corporations and financiers (including sponsors and investors, policy banks and export credit providers) across the following industries: carbon capture and storage; energy and power; hydrogen and hydrogen derived fuels and feedstock; mining and natural resources (including for critical metals and minerals); oil and gas, and LNG; ports, shipping and global trade; rail, road and tunnels; iron and steel; telecommunications; waste and water, and acts across all forms of government procurement and transactions (including major infrastructure development using all delivery methods), acting for both government and private sector.

As a leading projects and transactions lawyer, Michael provides structuring, corporate (including M&A, joint venture, and funding), commercial, project development and finance, and regulatory advice to clients across each of a range of industries.

Michael has acted on major privatization transactions in multiple jurisdictions across including in respect of energy and power; ports and shipping; rail (above and below, freight and passenger, and franchising); telecommunications; waste and water sectors.

Michael is a prolific presenter / speaker and writer on the legal, commercial and technical dynamics and issues that arise across projects and transactions, and the industry sectors advised.

In recent times, Michael has provided thought leadership on all aspects of carbon and decarbonization, the energy transition, including bioenergy, carbon credits and emissions trading schemes, CCS/CCUS, critical metals and minerals, energy storage, hydrogen and hydrogen derived fuels (and feedstock), renewable electrical energy generation and transmission, green ports and shipping, giga-factory development, net-zero waste (including recycling).

Admission & Affiliations

  • Qualified Solicitor, England & Wales, 1989
  • Western Australia Bar, 2002
  • Solicitor of the High Court of Australia, 2006
  • Bachelor of Laws, Newcastle University 1986

Experience

Energy & Power Generation

  • Dirio Power (owned by Minerals Resources Development Corporation) on the Hela US$400 million gas-fired power station development in PNG.*
  • NuiEnergi (a joint venture) on the proposed development a US$300 million gas fired power station development in PNG.*
  • ResourceCo on the development of two waste to energy projects (one in Queensland, one in Victoria), each around US$150 million.*
  • Equity participant and supplier to the proposed Tangerang waste to energy project in Indonesia.*
  • EnergyAustralia and ReGroup on the proposed development of a US$200 million refuse derived fuel power projects at Mount Piper, west of Lithgow, New South Wales.*
  • Dirio Power, on the Caution Bay US$350 million gas fired power station development in PNG.*
  • Project developer on the US$450 million East Rockingham waste to energy project in Perth, Western Australia – Australia's second waste to energy facility.*
  • EnergyAustralia on the Tallawarra B gas fired and hydrogen fired power station project (until handed over to Australian team in 2019), having acted on the Tallawarra A project.*
  • AGL on the proposed acquisition of gas fired power stations from Alinta Energy.*
  • Talison on its power procurement for its Lithium Greenbushes Mine and for processing plant at Kwinana.*
  • Water Corporation in respect of its energy portfolio, including coal fired, solar, tidal and wind.*
  • Cleanaway and Macquarie Capital, on the development of the US$600 million Western Sydney waste to energy project.*
  • Cleanaway and Macquarie Capital, on the development of the US$700 million Metropolitan Melbourne waste to energy project.*
  • Asia Development Bank on the proposed South Tangerang waste to energy project in Indonesia.*
  • Macquarie Capital in respect of proposed investment in waste to energy projects in Indonesia and Vietnam.*
  • EnergyAustralia on securing coal supply for its Mount Piper coal-fired power station project.*

Mining & Natural Resources

  • Independent State of PNG on the equity and recommencement of mine operations at the Porgera Gold Mine.*
  • Yancoal on proposed development of underground mine in NSW: this is likely to be the last underground coal development in NSW, and we are advising on all aspects of the development.*
  • Independent State of PNG on the proposed development of gold refinery and mint in PNG.*
  • Australia's largest off-road haulage service provider to the mining and natural resources industry on its proposed trade sale.*
  • Hainan Energy Exchange, as part of the Hainan Free Port : one of ten members of the advisory board, each member having deep and long-standing commodity market experience.*
  • Member of a group of advisers on advising Bougainville elected leadership on the prospect of recommencing mining.*
  • China Shenhua in respect of the proposed equity funded development of the Watermark Coal Mine in NSW (when China Shenhua decided not to develop), including each element of the open-cut mine, and the supply of power to the mine.*
  • Yancoal on the equity funded, US$1.2 billion expansion of open-cut and development of underground mine at Moolarben, NSW: over 60 packages, ahead of time, under budget.*
  • Yancoal on the development of BOOT documentation for accommodation at two remote mine sites in Queensland.*
  • EnergyAustralia on coal procurement for Mount Piper Power Station, as part of the development of coal unloader procurement and above rail coal haulage arrangements.*
  • CleanTeq, on the development of the US$1 billion cobalt and nickel mine proximate to Orange, NSW.*
  • Harmony and Newcrest, on the proposed expansion of the Wafi-Golpu Copper and Gold Mine.*
  • BHP on a number of procurements for its Olympic Dam Project, in South Australia.*

Oil & Gas

  • Independent State of Papua New Guinea on the Papua LNG Project.*
  • Independent State of Papua New Guinea on the negotiation of the Pasca A project.*
  • Independent State of Papua New Guinea on the negotiation of the Pnyang Project and acceleration of PNG LNG.*
  • Independent State of Papua New Guinea on the proposed development of an FSRU project.*
  • ADNOC LNG on spot and term SPAs and on management of FM (including COVID).*
  • ADNOC on prospective acquisition of oil and gas interests offshore West Africa, and associated liquefaction under PSC regimes of two countries, and cross-border unitization.*
  • AGL on the Crib Point LNG import initiative.*
  • Eni Australia on access to sub-sea infrastructure and tolling arrangements for feed-gas from Evans Shoal to be processed and liquefied at Darwin LNG.*
  • Eni Indonesia on the Jangkrik Project.*
  • Eni Indonesia on its sells downs of upstream assets.*

Ports, Logistics & Global Trade

  • Yancoal in respect of the access and use arrangements at each of its coal export ports on Australia's east coast.*
  • Acting for buyers, sellers and contractors in respect of coal loading and export from Indonesia.*
  • AGL in respect of all port infrastructure development required for Crib Point development, including marine and landside developments.*
  • Indonesian high net worth interests on the proposed development of a new container terminal at Surabaya, Indonesia, working with Pelindo III – in abeyance.*
  • Indonesian high net worth interests on the proposed redevelopment of Kendal Port (as a mixed and multipurpose port), working with Pelindo III – in abeyance.*
  • Indonesian high net worth interests on the proposed development of a bunker storage system at Gresik, working with Pelindo III – in abeyance.*

*Prior to joining Baker Botts




Awards and Community

"Michael Harrison's knowledge on renewable energy is the world's best. Michael is always writing papers on carbon capture which is read with great interest and very useful for us."

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2023 - Singapore: Projects, Foreign Firms

"I have never met a more committed, knowledgeable, pragmatic and commercially savvy lawyer who always delivers the best outcomes for his clients." and "He is highly regarded for his skills and ability to deliver a solution without protracted delays. He is both positive and energetic in his engagements and able to communicate complex matters in simple and focused ways."

Chambers Global, 2023 - Singapore: Energy & Natural Resources International

"Michael Harrison is described as a "highly experienced, knowledgeable and committed lawyer…He has a first-rate legal mind, but what sets him apart from other external legal advisers we know is his commercial understanding of the industries in which he practises."

Chambers Global, 2021 - Singapore: Energy & Natural Resources International

"Harrison is deeply experienced in a range of projects work. ‘What makes this practice unique is Michael Harrison. He would, without doubt, be the best legal practitioner I have ever dealt with in my 35 years of industry experience.’ ‘Michael Harrison is a standout for a number of reasons, firstly because of his legal acumen and expertise, but backed up with his can-do, get it done, keep it simple approach. I find this unique, particularly at the level within and the industry sectors that Mr Harrison operates in.”

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, 2021 - Singapore: Projects; Foreign Firms