MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Corporate and M&A

Partner and Head of Corporate (Wellington)

John is an experienced corporate lawyer, specialising in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate advisory, and complex commercial contracting and restructuring.

John assists New Zealand and international corporates and financial institutions, as well as the New Zealand Government, to structure complex domestic and cross-border transactions and restructures. John has also acted on the first secondary Public Private Partnership (PPP) sell down transactions in the New Zealand market. He has significant Overseas Investment Act experience, having advised on the OIO applications for large overseas investments/ divestments by New Zealand funds and companies.

An expert in commercial contracting, John regularly advises companies on the establishment of limited partnership investment models and joint ventures. He has particular expertise in the carbon and renewable energy sectors, large and complex supply contracts, leasing arrangements, and asset sale agreements.

John’s clients include Z Energy, AMP Capital Investors, Brookfield Global Asset Management, and Souter Investments as well as a number of listed energy companies. He has a very strong reputation in the downstream energy sector. He led Z Energy through its $785 million acquisition of Chevron New Zealand (including the retail site divestments) as its acting General Counsel (on secondment).

English

LLB/BCom, University of Otago (2003)