Principal

Lachlan is a leading corporate lawyer with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions (including acquisitions, disposals and capital raising), joint ventures and restructures. He has experience advising large corporations, institutional investors, private equity funds and founders across a wide variety of sectors.

Lachlan is listed in Doyle’s Guide 2023 in the categories of Leading Corporate Lawyers and Leading Business and Commercial Lawyers.

Examples of Lachlan’s recent experience includes advising:

• Position Partners in relation to three separate sale transactions resulting in an 80% sale to Mitsui & Co.;
• US-based PE firm Bison Capital on its acquisition of Auscript and FTR Group and later sale of Auscript to VIQ Solutions;
• the founder of Enerdrive on the sale to Swedish listed Dometic Group;
• iSeekplant on investments by Macquarie Group and the Queensland Government’s BDF;
• the founders of Queensland’s largest insurance builder Ambrose Building to CPE Capital for a confidential amount, and acquisition of Inserve Australia, to form one of the largest insurance builders in Australia;
• Kelsian Travel Group (ASX:KLS) on multiple transactions, including its acquisitions of Go West Tours for up to $114 million and Horizons West for up to $46 million and Transit Systems (now part of Kelsian Travel Group) on its acquisition of Sita Coaches and Sita Buslines;
• the acquisition of an Australian technology business by a US SPAC (details confidential/transaction ongoing);
• the founders of proptech company AIRE on the investment in the company by PieLab Venture Partners and the Queensland Government’s BDF, together with the later sale of the company to CoreLogic / RP Data;
• Alceon Qld and Brisbane Recycling Consortium on their acquisition of Byrne Resources Group (now Rino Recycling);
• Fortitude Investment Partners on multiple transactions, including investments in Digital Lifecycle Group, Shorthand, Nutra Organics, and the sale of Foundation Early Learning;
• Virgin Management Limited (Sir Richard Branson’s family office) in relation to a number of its Australian investments;
• Lynch Group, Australia’s largest floral wholesaler, in relation to various bolt-on acquisitions;
• Anagenics Limited (ASX:AN1) on its acquisition of BLC Cosmetics as well as the sale of Advangen Inc. by way of management buyout by its Japanese management team;
• the founders of IT services and networks business Comlinx on their sale to ASX listed Over The Wire Limited; and
• shareholders of Dunblane Solar Pty Ltd (the owner of the Dunblane Solar farm) on the sale to London-based global energy infrastructure investor Victory Hill.

Prior to joining Talbot Sayer, Lachlan worked at Herbert Smith Freehills in Brisbane and London, where he acted on complex cross border transactions, including a QIC led consortium’s acquisition of the Port of Melbourne from the Victorian Government for $9.7 billion, and the proposed takeover of Shire plc by US pharmaceuticals giant AbbVie Inc for £32 billion.

Lachlan also has significant in-house experience developed through a number of secondments to large Australian and UK companies, including Santos, Suncorp and Sir Richard Branson’s family office (Virgin Management Limited).

Lachlan also volunteers his time to assist Orange Sky Australia with legal matters, including by acting as their company secretary.

Qualifications

University of Queensland
Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
Bachelor of Arts

Admissions

Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Admitted as a solicitor of the High Court of Australia.

Contact details

Phone: +61 7 3160 2916
Mobile: +61 412 978 636
Email:  [email protected]