Dan Jones, Leading Corporate Advisory Lawyer : Russell McVeagh

Profile

Dan has extensive experience advising clients on complex corporate and commercial legal issues, specialising in securities law, mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, listing rules and funds management (including KiwiSaver and superannuation).

He also advises on exemptions from New Zealand securities law requirements, trustee licensing and employee share schemes.

Experience

Dan’s Capital Markets and Securities work includes advising:

Perpetual Guardian on its proposed listing on the NZX and ASX.
Evolve Education on its proposed listing on the NZX and ASX.
Goodman Property Trust on its capital raisings on the NZX.
Precinct Properties on its capital raisings on the NZX.
Telecom (now Spark) on its demerger from Chorus.
Obtaining exemptions under the Securities Act.
Various New Zealand and overseas and based clients in relation to other New Zealand securities law issues.
Various listed clients in relation to NZX listing and listing rule issues.

Dan’s Takeovers, Mergers and Acquisitions work includes advising:

National Australia Bank (parent company of BNZ) on the sale of BNZ's life insurance business to Partners Life for $290 million.
Wells Fargo on its acquisition of GE Capital's dealer financing businesses.
Complectus / Perpetual Guardian on its acquisitions of New Zealand Trustee Services Limited, Corporate Trust Limited, Covenant Trustee Services Limited and Documents Plus Limited and its shareholders on the 2016 / 2017 dual track IPO and trade sale process in relation to the Complectus group.
AIM Aviation on its acquisition of Altitude Aerospace Interiors.
Goodman Property Trust on its property joint ventures.
Heartland New Zealand on its acquisition of Seniors Money International.
Westfield on the spin-out of its New Zealand shopping centres.
The Guardians of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund in relation to various limited partnerships and management agreements.
Telecom (now Spark) on the demerger of its network business.

Dan’s Contracts and Tendering work includes advising:

Watercare in relation to its various water and wastewater agreements.
BNZ in relation to its standard terms and conditions.
Norske Skog in relation to its wood and fibre supply and site agreements.
The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund in relation to various limited partnerships and management agreements.
Telecom (now Spark) in relation to its rural broadband agreement with Vodafone.

Dan’s Funds Management work includes advising:

Various fund managers, banks and trustees in relation to their obligations and disclosure under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (and associated regulations).
Various clients in relation to the Financial Advisors Act 2008 and the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008.
Various listed and unlisted fund managers and corporate clients in relation to their unit trusts, KiwiSaver schemes, employee share schemes, superannuation funds, and other offer documents.
Various trustees and fund managers in relation to the restructure and / or winding up of various funds.
Various corporate trustees in relation to obtaining, varying, and complying with, their trustee and statutory supervisor licences.
Providing advice in relation to establishment of various financial services and the structuring of those services in relation to the discretionary investment management services regime (DIMS’) (both with the intention to be within, and outside, that regime).
Reviewing licence applications, and assisting with interactions with the Financial Markets Authority, in relation to the DIMS licensing process under the Financial Markets Conduct Act.
Drafting the various documents required under the DIMS regime.
Providing advice in relation to periodic disclosure required under the DIMS regime.

Credentials

LLB (Hons), BCom, BA, University of Auckland.

Professional

Dan was admitted to practise in New Zealand in 2004. He became partner at Russell McVeagh in 2012 and was the National Chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee. Previously, he was the National Practice Group Chair for Russell McVeagh's Corporate Advisory team.

Dan is recognised as a Leading Individual in Corporate and M&A law by the Legal 500 2024 Guide, Highly Regarded in Capital Markets: Equity by IFLR1000 2024 Guide, and recognised by the Best Lawyers® 2024 New Zealand guide for Agriculture and Rural Affairs Practice, Capital Markets Law, Corporate Law, M&A Law, Private Equity Law. He is the co-author of the New Zealand chapter in Chambers Corporate M&A Legal Practice Guide.

Dan is part of Russell McVeagh's award-winning Corporate Advisory practice. The firm was named National Law Firm of the Year at the 2022 IFLR Asia Pacific Awards, and New Zealand's top deal firm at the 2019 New Zealand Law Awards.

Client feedback in the Legal 500 2022-23 Guides emphasised Dan's expertise in Corporate Advisory, stating Dan:

"is friendly, an expert in his field, supportive, and good to work with. He is the perfect “go-to” adviser, and understands the need for flexible, commercial advice that does not simply “quote the law”".
"has deep commercial experience, with the ability to quickly identify key issues, clearly articulate the impacts/consequences, and then able to shape risk adjusted advice to clients."

Dan was a Russell McVeagh scholar, joining the firm in 2003.