About John
John leads McCullough Robertson’s International practice and maintains a top class international and domestic client base in corporate, competition, international trade and regulated industries (particularly energy).
John is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin (LL.B first class honours) and Oxford University (BCL) and relocated to Australia with his Australian family to join McCullough Robertson in February 2013 after a successful career in Dublin and London.
John has over 25 years’ experience in major advisory, transactional and project work across many sectors and with nationally significant practise in corporate competition, energy and utilities.
John also has a strong understanding of the government sector with considerable experience in industry regulation and state transactional matters. His clients regularly include significant corporates, multinationals, private equity, hedge funds, entrepreneurs and government and government-owned companies.
John is a guest lecturer in competition law at the University of Queensland, an academic author, the competition law editor of the Australian Law Journal, a frequent speaker at the International Bar Association and other conferences in Australia and overseas on competition law, energy, utilities and international trade, and a is contributor to the likes of The Financial Times and ABC.
John is a part time member of the Clean Energy Regulator. He has also been director of several Australian private equity-owned portfolio companies appointed by a significant international private equity firm.
John also sits on several not-for profit boards in Australia including KitAid Australia, and is a former Chair of the International Bar Association’s Public Law Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Irish Law Society’s EU & International Affairs Committee.
Specialisations
Experience
Digicel Pacific
Advising Digicel Group on the $2.4bn sale of Digicel Pacific to Telstra.
Elliott Green Power
Advising Elliott Green Power on the acquisition, development and roll out of its utility scale solar business in Australia.
Renewable energy
Serial adviser to international energy companies on renewable energy projects across Australia.
Dalian Wanda Group
Advising Dalian Wanda Group on its acquisition of Australia’s iconic Hoyts Cinemas and Val Morgan Media from Pacific Equity Partners.
Agribusiness
Advising nationally significant agribusinesses on ACCC investigations and related matters.
International Business
Advising international business on Australian merger control.
Cross-border activity
Serial adviser to business on cross-border activity into, and out of, Australia.
Telecoms
Advising on telecoms infrastructure matters (including 4G LTE and 5G).
Brisbane Broncos
Advising Brisbane Broncos (Australia’s biggest professional rugby league club).
Government entities
Advising Government entities on the privatization and restructuring of State-owned assets.
International
Drafting the rules for the all Ireland Single Electricity Market (like the NEM in Australia) and drafting telecoms legislation.
Telecoms
Serial adviser on telecoms, broadcasting and telecoms towers networks matters.
Big Pharma
Serial adviser on Big Pharma distribution networks.
Sport
Taking Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to CAS in the FIFA Two case.