DLA Piper boosts Corporate practice with lateral partner hire in Australia

Global law firm DLA Piper announces that M&A and ECM Corporate specialist James Nicholls joins the firm’s Perth office, effective 3 March 2021.

James joins DLA Piper as a lateral hire from international firm Allen & Overy, where he was a Special Counsel specialising in M&A and corporate law, ECM transactions and Head Office regulatory advice. James assists both domestic and foreign companies in successfully implementing inorganic value solutions, predominantly in the Energy & Resources sector.

During his career, James has been involved in a number of ‘market firsts’ and significant matters including: 

• first equity raising funded acquisition via a pre-packed DOCA (Pilbara Minerals’ acquisition of Altura’s lithium project);
• first offer of an ASX listed debt CVR (Oil Search proposed acquisition of InterOil);
• first reverse takeover under the new ASX listing rules (Intrepid’s acquisition of AIC Resources);
• first public company takeover via DOCA (Seven Group’s acquisition of Nexus Energy);
• expansion of the Takeovers Panel’s anti-coercion doctrine (Atlas Iron (2018); Alto Metals (2020);
• delineation of the “policy of certainty” under section 629 of the Corporations Act (NGM Resources (2010).

Whilst at A&O, James spent 6 months seconded to VimpelCom (now VEON) in the Netherlands helping to establish a A$33bn telco joint venture with Hutchison Whampoa in Italy.  Immediately prior to joining A&O, James was on secondment from Corrs to the M&A team at AZB & Partners in India.

James is included in the Best Lawyer's lists for M&A and Corporate Law, is a member of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and a recipient of the Lawyers Weekly’s “30 under 30” award in the field of M&A.