Mark Askin

Partner

Over 20 years, Mark has led market-significant capital transactions for Australia's most active market participants, delivered national portfolio leasing optimisation programs for leading corporate occupiers, and structured large-scale development projects to improve project delivery.

Mark advises private and institutional investors, REITs, corporations and government bodies on the acquisition, divestment and repositioning of Australian real estate assets across core and select alternative sectors where pricing integrity, income durability and completion certainty are critical to sustainable asset performance.

His focus is to protect yield, support valuation resilience and preserve exit optionality by ensuring the legal architecture reinforces investment feasibility from entry through to realisation.

Investment committees, fund managers and transaction/asset management teams rely on Mark’s commercial judgement, technical legal capability and pragmatic negotiation style to navigate competitive transactional processes, align risk allocation with capital investment strategy, and manage sophisticated counterparty expectations to drive deals to completion with clarity, control and certainty.

Memberships, Accreditation and Activities

  • LLB (Hons), University of Queensland – 2004
  • Certificate of Specialisation in Commercial and Property Law, University of Queensland – 2004
  • Property Council of Australia
  • Brisbane Development Association
  • The Best Lawyers in Australia – Leasing Law and Real Property Law (2022 – 2025)
  • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Real Estate, Australia (2021 – 2025)
  • Doyle’s Guide – Leading Property and Real Estate Lawyers, Queensland (2023, 2025).

Expertise

Mark’s expertise includes:

Institutional Capital Transactions

    • Leading major acquisitions and divestments (single assets and portfolio deals)
    • End-to-end legal due diligence and risk management
    • Competitive sale processes advice and execution management
    • Transaction structuring and capital-aligned risk allocation

Major Leasing & Income Security

    • Institutional leasing programs and portfolio delivery
    • Pre-commitments and Agreements for Lease (AFLs)
    • Structured incentives and make-good frameworks
    • Lease portfolio optimisation (WALE, vacancy risk, renewal and option strategies)

Development & Project Structuring

    • Capital-aligned development frameworks to efficient project delivery
    • Forward commitments and development funding structures
    • Joint venture and co-investment arrangements

Strategic Advisory

    • Complex tenure and land use structuring
    • Property related tax advice and minimisation
    • ESG and sustainability initiatives
    • Exit optionality and tenure security

 

Memberships, Accreditation & Activities

  • LLB (Hons), University of Queensland – 2004
  • Certificate of Specialisation in Commercial and Property Law, University of Queensland – 2004
  • Property Council of Australia
  • Brisbane Development Association
  • The Best Lawyers in Australia – Leasing Law and Real Property Law (2022 – 2025)
  • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Real Estate, Australia (2021 – 2025)
  • Doyle’s Guide – Leading Property and Real Estate Lawyers, Queensland (2023, 2025).