Joshua Bell
Senior Associate – Corporate, M&A and Private Equity
Josh is an experienced corporate lawyer who brings a pragmatic approach to solving complex legal issues and delivering commercial outcomes for his clients. He has deep insights into undertaking cross-border transactions and how to pre-empt and solve commercial issues.
He specialises in advising clients across a range of industries on public and private M&A (including cross-border), distressed M&A, private equity, venture capital, corporate restructures, general corporate law and foreign investment regulations. With broader experience across property, funds and major projects, Josh also advises clients on their strategic commercial arrangements.
Before joining Hamilton Locke, Josh worked for a boutique Asian merchant bank focused on Sino-foreign transactions around the world. Josh previously worked at Kain Lawyers in Adelaide and K&L Gates in Sydney. He was also the international affairs advisor to a Senator and served in the Australian Army Reserves.
Articles and Publications
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
M&A; Capital Raisings; Cross-Border Advisory; General Corporate Advisory; Foreign Investment Regulations
QUALIFICATIONS
- Certificate in CTA1 Foundations of Tax - Tax Institute
- Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice - Australia National University
- Bachelor of Laws (Hons) - The University of Adelaide
- Bachelor of International Studies (History and Politics) - The University of Adelaide
- Admitted to practice in New South Wales and South Australia
SELECTED REPRESENTATIONS
- Advising Xplore Wealth Limited (ASX: XPL) on its $60 million acquisition by HUB24 Limited (ASX: HUB) for a mixture of cash and scrip by way of a concurrent share scheme of arrangement and option scheme of arrangement.
- Advising Refratechnik Group on the acquisition of leading magnesia producer QMAG Limited from Sibelco.
- Acting for the founder of Kounta, a growing Australian POS solutions provider, on the $84 million acquisition of Kounta by Lightspeed POS Inc, a Canadian listed entity for a combination of cash, scrip and contingent consideration.
- Acting for the vendors of a national trucking and logistics company in the sale of their shares to a private equity- backed logistics group for $20 million for a combination of cash, scrip and contingent consideration.
- Acting for a global FMCG Group on a complex multibillion-dollar restructure of its Australian assets and businesses.
- Advising MedAdvisor Limited (ASX: MDR) on the establishment of a Singapore-based joint venture with Asian healthcare company, Zuellig Pharmaceuticals.
- Acting for Mazars, a global accounting firm, on its mergers with Hanrick Curran and Cummings Flavel McCormack.
- Advising funds associated with MA Asset Management (a subsidiary of Moelis Australia) on multiple portfolio investments (equity and convertible notes) into fast growing technology businesses.
- Advising Partners for Growth on multiple warrant arrangements in connection with secured venture debt transactions with Australian and multi-national growth companies.
- Advising Tank Stream Ventures and the BridgeLane Group on various portfolio investments, including ezyCollect, Biteable, Equitise, Go1, Agerris, Sprout Stack and Flare HR.
- Acting for Plutora, an international software company, on an $18.5 million investment by Macquarie Capital.
- Advising Saville Capital on a pre-IPO convertible note investment into Laybuy Holdings.
- Acting for Energy Renaissance on various investment rounds, including a Series B equity round and convertible note round.