Lance Jones

Lance is a special counsel with extensive corporate law experience. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures and shareholder arrangements, inbound overseas investment and general corporate matters for key clients of the firm.

Lance is known for his technical skill, client-focused commercial approach, and his ability to lead large and complex matters and gain exceptional results. Having worked for seven years in London on cross-border M&A, private equity and capital markets transactions, and prior to that in Sydney, Lance also brings a valuable international perspective to his advice.

Lance is one of New Zealand's leading experts on the Overseas Investment Act, having advised on many successful applications since returning from London in 2014, and being intimately involved in the Treasury consultation process on, and preparing Russell McVeagh's and client submissions on, the recent reforms to the Act.

Lance recently authored the New Zealand Chapter for Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guide 2021 - Private Equity, and has authored the New Zealand chapter of the global publication Getting the Deal Through – Foreign Investment Review for the last three years (2020, 2021 and 2022).

Lance's recent experience includes advising:

• Square, Inc (now Block, Inc) on New Zealand aspects of its acquisition of Afterpay by scheme of arrangement valued at approximately NZ41 billion on announcement, making it the largest M+A deal in Australasian history at that time, including obtaining Overseas Investment Office consent.
• United Rentals, Inc (NYSE: URI) on New Zealand aspects of its acquisition of General Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: GFN) by scheme of arrangement, including obtaining Overseas Investment Office consent.
• Complectus Limited, on its sale of The New Zealand Guardian Trust Company and Covenant Trustee Services Limited to Tricor Group.
• Fisher Funds Management Limited on its competitive bid for, and acquisition of, AON New Zealand's superannuation business, including the Aon New Zealand KiwiSaver scheme and Master Trust.
• Pacific Equity Partners on New Zealand aspects of its sale of Lifehealthcare to EBOS (NZX / ASX: EBO).
• Lineage Logistics Holdings, LLC on its acquisition of Emergent Cold from Elliot Management Corp, including obtaining Overseas Investment Office consent.
• Keppel Infrastructure Trust (SGX: A7RU) on its successful competitive bid to acquire the Ixom Group (formerly Orica Chemicals) from Blackstone Private Equity for approximately A$1.1 billion, including obtaining Overseas Investment Office consent.
• Partners Group on its investment in Invesco Asia Real Estate Fund III, L.P., including obtaining Overseas Investment Office consent.
• Goodman Property Trust and Singaporean wealth fund GIC on their sale to Blackstone of the VXV office precinct in the Wynyard quarter for $635 million.
• The shareholders of Complectus/Perpetual Guardian on its partial divestment to Direct Capital and related joint venture arrangements.
• SmartPay on the sale of its New Zealand business to Verifone.
• Exponent Private Equity on its acquisition of Tui Products.
• Inenco Group Pty Ltd and SAECOWilson Limited on SAECOWilson's acquisition of the business and assets of HCD Flow Technology Limited. 
• Spark on its acquisition of WhereScape Limited from Pioneer Capital.
• Fonterra on its new consumer and foodservice dairy product manufacturing joint venture and related distribution arrangements with the Future Group, one of India's leading retail and distribution businesses.
• The New Zealand Superannuation Fund on its investment in NZ Gourmet.
• Fonterra on its strategic partnership with The a2 Milk Company and related manufacturing and supply arrangements.

LLB (Hons), BCom, University of Canterbury

Prior to joining Russell McVeagh in 2014, Lance worked in the corporate team at Norton Rose Fullbright in London and Herbert Smith Freehills in Sydney. He began his career at another leading New Zealand corporate law firm in 2003.