Lance is a special counsel with extensive corporate law experience. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures and shareholder arrangements, complex commercial contracts, 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. Prior to joining the firm, Lance worked for seven years in London and three years in Sydney at major international firms on cross-border M&A, private equity and capital markets transactions.

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 multi-stage overhaul of the Act between 2018 and 2021. Lance is also a prominent member of the Overseas Investment Office's 'Legal Reference Group', with whom the OIO regularly consults on technical, policy and procedural matters. In addition to managing OIO consent application processes, a core part of Lance's practice is advising international offices of global law firms, and their clients, on the applicability of the Overseas Investment Act to global transactions involving New Zealand businesses.

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.

Lance has co-authored the New Zealand Chapter for Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guide - Private Equity for the last three years (2021, 2022 and 2023), and has authored the New Zealand chapter of the global publication Lexology – Foreign Investment Review for the last five years (2020 - 2024).