James is a corporate lawyer specialising in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and equity capital markets.
He advises clients from a variety of industries including private equity sponsors. He is an expert in all aspects of domestic and cross-border M&A deals including public (takeovers and schemes of arrangements) and privately negotiated transactions and ECM deals including cross-border listings on the ASX.
James is qualified in both Australia and the US and has for many years advised US clients doing business in Australia and Australian clients doing business in the US.
James has been consistently recognised by his peers (Best Lawyers) for each of M&A (since 2010), Private Equity (since 2010), Corporate & Venture Capital Law (since 2010) and by his clients (Chambers & Partners) as a leading individual, again for each of Corporate/M&A, Private Equity (2011-2024) and Capital Markets (2016-2024). In Chambers & Partners he is described as “easily the best private equity lawyer we have dealt with, especially on cross-border deals” and is regarded as a "solutions-based lawyer who is very hands-on during a deal" and is lauded for producing "high-quality work quickly and with strong client interaction.”
Work highlights
Private equity and M&A experience
Allied Universal
Acting for Allied Universal, a California-based security services group that is backed by Warburg Pincus and Partners Group, in its acquisition of Aim Insurance Services, an Australian provider of insurance claim handling services (2024).
Accel-KKR and HumanForce
Acting for LiveHire Limited (ASX:LVH) a leading recruitment and talent mobility software platform in its acquisition by Accel-KKR portfolio company HumanForce (2024).
Archer Capital
Acting for Archer Capital on its sale of illion to Experian, bringing together two of Australia’s three consumer credit bureaux (2024).
Ziff Capital Partners and Outerknown
Acting for Ziff Capital Partners on the merger of the pioneering brands Outerknown, Firewire Surfboards, and Slater Designs, a consortium of elevated lifestyle and performance apparel and best-in-class surfboards and accessories (2024).
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR)
Acting for Caesars, the largest casino-entertainment company in the US, on its acquisition of sports betting technology company, ZeroFlucs (2024).
Fortive Corporation (NYSE:FTV)
Acting in relation to its divestment of Invetech, which partners with health and life science leaders to expand the reach of next-generation healthcare by accelerating the design, engineering, and manufacture of commercial-scale diagnostic products and cell therapies, through a management buyout (2024).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its divestment of NewBook, a bookings software company, to Storable, Inc., an EQT portfolio company (2024).
Kangarootime
Acting for Kangarootime (childcare software for early learning, kindergartens, and OSHC services) on the divestment and merger of its Australian operations with Juice Technologies (the owner of childcare management system Kidsoft, (2024).
EQT
Acting for BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII (“EQT”) on its acquisition of VetPartners, the leading provider of veterinary and animal health services in Australia and New Zealand (2023).
Vertica Capital Partners
Acting for Vertica Capital Partners on its acquisition of Rezdy, an online travel booking software platform. The acquisition of Rezdy was done concurrently with the acquisitions of Checkfront (US) and Regiondo (Germany) (2023).
Fireblocks
Acting for Fireblocks (a platform that protects digital assets in transit) on the acquisition of BlockFold, a Melbourne-based start-up that helps financial institutions build blockchain-based systems (2023).
Advent International
Acting for Advent on its acquisition of a majority stake in the Australian luxury fashion brand ZIMMERMANN, which operates retail stores in Australia, the US, UK, Europe and China, as well as being represented in prestigious department stores and luxury retailers worldwide (2023).
Insight Partners
Acting for Veeam Software (an Insight portfolio company) on its acquisition of Cirrus, a SaaS backup solution for cloud workloads, allowing users to send backups to external storage repositories currently managed by Microsoft Azure (2023).
Insight Partners
Acting for Zone & Co (an Insight portfolio company) in relation to its acquisition of Infinet Cloud, a NetSuite partner specialising in international Payroll & Employee Centric solutions (2023).
Liverpool Partners
Acting in relation to its divestment of BMX Holdco (Biomedx), a leading global provider of fertility products that automate and standardize lab workflow for IVF clinics (2023).
ISP Tek Services
Acting for the sellers on the acquisition by Close the Loop Inc (ASX:CLG) of ISP Tek Services and Captive Trade, two U.S.-based electronics refurbishing and trading companies (2023).
Acclivis Group
Acting for its portfolio company, Z Software, in the acquisition of Medi-Map, a medication management software company (2023).
Potentia Capital
Acting for Potentia in relation to its take-private acquisition of Nitro Software (ASX:NTO), a document productivity software company, in an on–market takeover (2023).
Accel-KKR
Acting for HumanForce, an Accel-KKR portfolio company, on its acquisition of IntelliHRLimited (ASX:IHR), an HR software platform, by way of scheme of arrangement and subsequently by way of a contested takeover bid (2023).
Alpine Investors
Acting for Alpine Software Group, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors, on its acquisition of OSINT Combine and NexusXplore (2023).
Acclivis Group
Acting for Acclivis in relation to its acquisition of Zed Technologies, a cloud-based radiology software business (2022).
Serent Capital
Acting for Actionstep, a cloud-based legal practice management platform, and portfolio company of Serent, on its acquisition of legal software business, LawMaster (2022).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its divestment of Micromine, a mining technology company (2022).
Liverpool Partners
Acting in relation to its acquisitions of IVF providers, Adora Fertility (2022) and Genea (2022).
Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN)
Acting for Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN) in its proposed merger with Alliance Services Limited (ASX:AQZ) by way of a scheme of arrangement (2022).
Quantum Health Group Limited (ASX:QTM)
Acting for Quantum Health Group Limited (ASX:QTM) in its merger with Paragon Care Limited (ASX:PGC) by way of a scheme of arrangement (2022).
Vector Capital
Acting for Vector Capital Management and its portfolio company MoxiWorks on its acquisition of ActivePipe, a real estate tech offering providing email and marketing automation solutions (2022).
Lacima Group
Acting for Lacima, which provides technology solutions for trading and risk management in energy and commodities markets trading businesses, on its sale to the European Energy Exchange (EEX), which is part of the Deutsche Börse (2022).
Level Equity
Acting for Level Equity in its acquisition of SaaS anti-fraud payment protection technology company eftSure (2021).
GumGum, Inc
Acting for GumGum in relation to its acquisition of attention intelligence platform Playground XYZ (2021).
Spotify AB
Acting for Spotify in its acquisition of podcast tech platform Whooshkaa (2021).
Acclivis Group
Acting in relation to its acquisition of Z Software (2021).
Liverpool Partners
Acting in relation to its acquisition of Baby Village (2021).
Salsify Inc
Acting in relation to its acquisition of SKUvantage (2021).
Beamtree Holdings Limited (ASX:BMT)
Acting in relation to its acquisition of Potential(x) (2021).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its acquisition of SuperChoice Services (2021).
IXUP Limited (ASX:IXU)
Acting in relation to its acquisition of Data Republic (2021).
Thrasio Inc
Acting in relation to a series of acquisitions in Australia (2021).
PLBY Group
Acting for Playboy in relation to its acquisition of Honey Birdette (2021).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its acquisition of NewBook (2021).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its portfolio acquisitions by Micromine of Precision Mining (2021) and Alastri Holdings (2021).
The CapStreet Group
Acting in relation to its portfolio acquisition by Incentive Solutions of OneAffiniti (2021).
Liverpool Partners
Acting in relation to its portfolio acquisitions by Seisma of Smart Apps (2021), coIB (2021) and Braestone (2021).
Bay Grove
Acting in relation to its portfolio acquisition by Lineage Logistics of Emergent Cold (2020).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its acquisition of Commerce Vision (2021).
Virgin Group
Acting in relation to its investment in the Bain Capital consortium for Virgin Australia (2020).
Archer Capital
Acting in relation to its partial divestment of illion (2020).
Liverpool Partners
Acting in relation to its acquisition of Melbourne IT Consulting (2020).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its portfolio acquisition of Premier Technologies, a payments solution (2020).
Insight Partners
Acting in relation to its acquisition of Kumo Holdings (2020).
Archer Capital
Acting in relation to its proposed acquisition of FunLab (2020).
Potentia Capital
Advised on all corporate aspects of Potentia’s acquisition of 100% of PC-EFTPOS (2019).
Marlin Equity
Acting in relation to its acquisition of HotSchedules (formerly RedBook) (2019).
Archer Capital
Acting in relation to its divestment of LCR Group to Qube (2019).
Coast2Coast
Acting in relation to its divestment of Marlin Brands (2019).
Potentia Capital
Advising on its acquisition of Micromine (2018).
Matrix Partners
Advising on its PIPE into Afterpay (ASX:APT) (2018).
JMI Equity
Advising on its acquisition of Serraview Holdings (2018).
PCI Pharma
Advising on its acquisition of Pharmaceutical Packaging (2018).
Archer Capital
Acting in relation to its divestment of AeroCare to Swissport (2018).
Venture capital and growth equity experience
Clean Energy Finance Corporation / Virescent Ventures Pty Ltd
Acted in its investment in clean energy start-up, H2Lab (2023).
Potentia Capital
Acting for Potentia in relation to its investment in Soprano Design, a communications platform as a service (CPaaS) operator (2023).
General Catalyst Partners
Acting for General Catalyst Partners in its Series A investment into Carma (2022).
Protecht
Acting for Protecht, a risk management software company, in relation to its Series A financing from Arrowroot Capital (2022).
Potentia Capital
Acting in relation to its investment in EstimateOne, a construction tech company (2021).
JMI Equity
Acting in relation to its investment in Practice Ignition (2021).
Five V Capital
Acting in relation to its investment in Automic Group (2021).
Gemini Investments and Tiger Global Investment
Acting in relation to their investment in Stakeshop (2021).
Insight Partners
Acting in relation to its investment in SafetyCulture (2021).
Insight Partners
Acting in relation to its investment in Octopus Deploy (2021).
Insight Partners
Acting in relation to its investment in Employment Hero (2021).
OpenView Partners
Acting in relation to its investment in Persuit (2021).
Seven West Media Limited
Acting on its portfolio divestment of Airtasker (2021).
Insight Partners
Acting in relation to its investment in Linktree (2020).
OpenView Partners
Acting in relation to its investment in Buildkite (2020).
Seven West Media Limited
Acting on its portfolio investments in Health Engine (2020).
Linktree
Advised on series B funding round of financing (2021).
Bioscience Managers
Acting in relation to its investment in Canary (2020).
Felicis Ventures
Advising on its seed investment in Dovetail (2020).
Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Acting in relation to its investment in Sunman energy (2020).
Ten Eleven Ventures
Advising on its Series B investment in Kasada (2020).
Insight Partners
Advised on its Series B investment of Linktree (2020).
Accel-KKR
Advising on its Series A investment in Pegasus Management (2020).
Bioscience Managers
Acting in relation to its investment in Pharmamark (2019).
Replica Media
Advising on its US-redomicile and seed financing (2019).
Cardiac Dimensions
Acting in relation to on its Series B financing (2018).
Blade Therapeutics, Inc.
Advising on the Initial Closing of its US$50 million Series C round of financing (2018).
Madorra
Advising on on its Series A fundraising (2018).
Accel-KKR
Advising on its series A investment in Humanforce, a workplace management solution (2018).
Institutional Venture Partners and OpenView
Advising on their series C investment in Deputy Group (2018).
Inference Technologies
Advising on its investment by Peakspan Capital (2018).
Khosla Ventures
Advising on its seed investment in Popgun Labs (2018).
Brandon Capital Partners and MH Carnegie & Co
Advising on their investment in EBR Systems (2017).
IPO experience
EBR Systems, Inc (ASX:EBR)
Acting for EBR on its IPO and ASX-listing (2021).
Laybuy Limited (ASX:LBY)
Acting for Laybuy Limited on its pre-IPO and IPO and ASX-listing (2020).
Imricor Medical Systems, Inc (ASX:IMR)
Acting for Imricor Medical Systems on its IPO and ASX-listing (2019).
Visioneering Technologies, Inc (ASX:VTI)
Acting on its IPO and ASX-listing (2017).
AccuVein, Inc
Acting on its proposed IPO and ASX-listing (2017).
AirXpanders, Inc (ASX:AXP)
Acting for AirXpanders on its IPO and ASX-listing (2015).
Other ECM experience
AirXpanders, Inc (ASX:ASX)
Acting for AXP on its follow-on placement (2016, 2017, 2018).
Bioscience Managers
In its PIPE investments in Acrux (ASX:ACR) (2020) and Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP) (2020).
BSA Limited (ASX:BSA)
Acting for BSA on its placement (2014).
Energy Word Corporation (ASX:EWC)
Acting for EWC on various follow-on offerings including note issues and placements (2015).
Hexima Limited (ASX:HXL)
Acting for HXL on its follow-on placement (2021).
Impedimed Limited (ASX:IPD)
Acting for IPD on various follow-on offerings, including rights issues and placements (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021).
Imricor Medical Systems, Inc (ASX:IMR)
Acting for IMR on various follow-on offerings, including rights issues and placements (2020, 2021).
Matrix Partners
In its PIPE investment in Afterpay (ASX:APT) (2017).
Osprey Medical, Inc (ASX:OSP)
Acting for OSP on numerous follow-on offerings, including rights issues and placements (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021).
Peplin Inc (ASX:PLI)
On and numerous fundraisings in Australia and the US.
Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM)
Acting for SQM on its PIPE investment into Elemental Minerals Limited (ASX:ELM) (2016).
Sunshine Heart, Inc (ASX: SHI)
On its listing and fundraisings and numerous fundraisings in Australia and the US.
Visioneering Technologies, Inc (ASX:VTI)
Acting for VTI on numerous follow-on offerings, including convertible notes, rights issues and placements (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).