John specialises in domestic and cross-border private capital and private M&A transactions, with a particular focus on the energy and infrastructure sector.
John specialises in advising private capital sponsors, their portfolio companies and large corporates on cross-border and domestic M&A, strategic investments and joint ventures, with a particular focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors. His work spans acquisitions, divestments and complex investment structures across Australia and the US. He also routinely advises on a broad range of general corporate, securities laws and corporate governance matters.
John is admitted to the New York State Bar, in the High Court of Australia and in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
Key Australian experience
• TPG on its 70% equity investment in Kinetic – Australia's largest mass transport operator and majority owner of UK-based Go-Ahead Group
• La Caisse (previously CDPQ) on its acquisition of Edify Energy, Australia’s leading renewable energy development and storage investment company
• The Living Company (previously Scape Australia) on the acquisition of Brookfield’s Aveo retirement living business, marking the largest direct real estate transaction in Australian history
• The Living Company (previously Scape Australia) on the conversion of the AUD1 billion Scape Core Fund, its flagship purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) fund, into an open-ended pooled fund. Concurrently with conversion, two portfolios of PBSA properties were merged into the Scape Core Fund
• AGP Partners on Stonepeak's investment across AGP's core verticals being Renewable Energy, Social Housing and Logistics
• Partners Group on the establishment of a transportation logistics real estate joint venture platform in Australia with Realterm, and the JV's seed asset acquisition
• Middle Eastern Sovereign Wealth Fund on its acquisition of a 49% stake in Plenary, an Australia-based leading independent investor, developer and manager of public-private infrastructure projects
• Iris Energy Limited (NASDAQ: IREN) on the Australian law aspects of its SEC-registered at-the-market offering of ordinary shares, with an aggregate amount of up to US$300 million
• One Equity Partners on their carve-out acquisition of Associated Spring
• Leeds Equity Partners on their acquisition of Learnosity
Key US experience
• Global Infrastructure Partners on their acquisition of the Atlas Renewable Energy portfolio*
• AES Corporation in two selldowns of its Southland power generation and BESS assets*
• Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners on their investment in the Star of the South offshore wind energy project*
• Blackstone Energy Partners on their sale of their ~42% stake in Cheniere Energy*
• Blackstone Infrastructure Partners on their PIPE transaction in FirstEnergy*
• Partners Group on its acquisition of EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure*
• Partners Group on its acquisition of Milestone Equipment Holdings*
• HPS Investment Partners on their preferred equity Investment in Tillman Digital Cities*
• ContourGlobal plc on its acquisition of a portfolio of natural gas-fired assets in the US and the Caribbean*
• Goldman Sachs (Merchant Banking Division) on its sale of a 30% interest in Vertical Bridge*
* Indicates the matter was completed by John while based in the US, prior to joining Clifford Chance
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, Sydney
- +61289228592
- Email me
- Speaks English and Greek
Career & qualifications
- The University of New South Wales (Bachelor of Laws) (Honours) 2014
- The University of New South Wales (Bachelor of Engineering – Civil Engineering) (Honours) 2014
- The Australian National University (Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice) 2015
- Admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales 2015
- Entered into the roll of the High Court of Australia 2015
- Admitted as an attorney to the New York State Bar 2019
- Joined Clifford Chance as Counsel June 2023
Professional bodies
- The Law Society of New South Wales
- The New York State Bar Association