Iain is an experienced and highly regarded corporate lawyer with extensive experience in assisting clients navigate complex legal issues in both domestic and cross-border transactions. He has spent time practising law in both the UK and in Australia.
Iain has particular expertise in advising private companies and ASX-listed companies with respect to corporate and commercial transactions, in particular M&A and capital raising initiatives.
He is renowned for his exceptional client service, understanding his clients’ needs and providing commercial pragmatic advice. Clients have confirmed that he “has a thorough working knowledge of ECM and ASX” and they value his ability to “balance the commercial and legal issues well.”
Iain advises a wide-range of clients from small start-ups to a number of ASX-listed companies, as well as clients from overseas jurisdictions looking to invest in Australia. He also advises a number of brokers and corporate finance firms with respect to capital raising transactions.
Expertise
Iain specialises in:
- Equity capital markets
- Regulated and unregulated M&A
- Joint ventures, sell downs and shareholder arrangements
- Distressed asset sales and financial restructurings
- Corporate governance
Recent Projects
- Advising the issuer on a number of IPOs and ASX listings, including most recently Microequities Asset Management Group ($106m), ELMO Software ($105m), Volpara Health Technologies ($61m), New Zealand King Salmon ($160m) and Appen ($50m) and advised the underwriters on the IPOs of Atlassian Corporation ($4bn, as Australian counsel), Propel Funeral Partners ($265m) and Adherium ($70m).
- Advising on secondary capital raisings for a number of ASX-listed companies including most recently Appen ($30m to support $100m US acquisition), Volpara Health Technologies ($20m) and ELMO Software ($46m).
- Advising the PNG Government in connection with its $1.25bn placement to acquire 10.01% of Oil Search Limited.
- Advising on a number of significant schemes of arrangement and off-market takeovers including for Alinta Energy, Suncorp Group, Equigold, Great Artesian Oil and Gas and Barloworld.
- Advising on private unregulated M&A transactions in various industry sectors including insurance, professional services, engineering, industrials, mining, technology, agribusiness, retail and food.
- Advising on sell-downs and joint ventures including for Macquarie Capital and GPT Group Limited.
Professional Memberships / Accreditation & Activities
- Recognised Lawyer, Corporate Law, Commercial Law and Mergers & Acquisitions Law, The Best Lawyers in Australia
- Hall of Fame, Capital Markets Equity, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
- Ranked Lawyer (Band 4), Capital Markets – Equity, Chambers Asia Pacific.
- Leading Individual, Capital Markets Equity, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.
- Recommended Lawyer, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, The Best Lawyers In Australia
Sector
- M&A / Corporate Advisory ,
Services
location
Sydney
Thinking
