Steve Johns is a partner in the Corporate team, advising on M&A, joint ventures and strategic investments for corporates, owners and investors.
His practice focuses on technology‑enabled businesses, including defence and defence‑adjacent, and complex services businesses. Steve advises boards, owners and investors on acquisitions, divestments, strategic investments, joint ventures and restructures, including carve‑outs, including transactions involving commercial, technical or regulatory complexity.
Steve regularly advises domestic and foreign corporates and private capital on cross‑border transactions, with deep experience on Australia–US matters. He has worked in the United States.
- Acting for an Australian corporation on its potential acquisition of a QSR business in South East Asia.
- Acting for a foreign corporation on its joint venture with the Commonwealth of Australia in relation to The Coral Sea Cable System.
- Acting for an Australian EV services company on its capital raise.
- Acting for a UK company on its acquisition of a hiring business in Australia.
- Acting for a US corporation on its acquisition of multiple Australian facilities management business.
- Acting for a US corporation on its acquisition of an Australian project management business.
- Acting for a technology company on its acquisition of a migration-to-cloud business.
- Acting for a UK based food company on its acquisition of a majority stake in an Australian based plant breeding company.
- Acting for a UK listed company on is acquisition of an Australian flavours and fragrance business.
- Acting for a US private equity fund on its acquisition of an e commerce payments business.
- Acting for a US private equity fund on an acquisition of an Australian events booking business.
- Acting for a US private equity portfolio company on its acquisition of an insurance tech company.
- Acting for an international shipping on its joint venture with a major distributor.
- Acting for a US private equity fund in connection with its partnering with a cloud-based talent management software business.
Awards and Recognition
Best Lawyers in Australia 2014-2023
Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law