Andrew Harmos

Andrew Harmos
Director

Andrew, one of the firm’s two serving co-founders, advises on a wide range of corporate, strategic and transactional matters, with a focus on takeovers, corporate advisory, co-investment and joint venture arrangements, and business acquisitions and divestments.

He has particular expertise in providing strategic board, governance and transaction advice, including a focus on offshore investment in New Zealand. He is the lead legal adviser to a number of NZX listed entities and is regularly asked to provide specialist independent advice to boards in tandem with a company's usual legal advisers. He has developed a trusted advisor relationship with a number of local and international private investors and family offices in relation to their New Zealand interests.

Andrew is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading public takeover lawyers, and co-heads the firm’s takeover practice. His experience and expertise in advising on the defence of hostile or unsolicited bids is unrivalled, and he is often sought out to provide specialist governance and strategic advice to boards who receive unsolicited bid proposals. He has presented on takeover defence to the New Zealand Institute of Directors Chairman’s Group and other specialist bodies.

Andrew was a senior corporate partner at Russell McVeagh before he left that firm in 2002 to establish Harmos Horton Lusk.

Recognition

Andrew is ranked as a Band 1 individual for Corporate/Commercial by Chambers Global and Chambers Asia Pacific, and is described as “world class and very strategic” with “an ‘excellent reputation’ in the corporate governance and transactional spheres, especially where complex takeover matters are concerned”.

Andrew is also recognised as a leading individual for Corporate/M&A by Asia Pacific Legal 500, with clients noting that he is “incredibly intelligent and always thinking of ways to achieve the required outcome”. In addition, he is recognised as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A by Asia Law Profiles and individually ranked for M&A by IFLR 1000.

Governance and other roles

Andrew has extensive governance experience across the listed, unlisted and not for profit sectors in New Zealand. He is the former chair of the board of NZX, and was formerly a director of ASX listed Scentre Group and of ASX listed AMP Limited and its subsidiaries AMP Bank Limited and AMP Life Limited. In addition, he is a director of a large private farm ownership holding company with external shareholders, and a former trustee of the New Zealand Arts Foundation and the McCahon Trust which provides an Auckland based residence programme for visual artists.

Recent disclosable matters: 
1

Advised NZX listed Vector Limited on the joint venture arrangements for its NZ$1.7 billion sale of 50% of Vector Metering to investment vehicles managed and advised by QIC Private Capital Pty Limited

2

Advised Powering Australia Renewables (a consortium comprising Australia’s Future Fund, Queensland Investment Corporation and ASX listed AGL Energy) on its $3.05 billion consortium acquisition, together with Mercury NZ, of NZX / ASX dual listed Tilt Renewables by scheme-of-arrangement

3

Advisor to the board of NZX/ASX listed The a2 Milk Company Limited in a specialist adviser role on a number of matters

4

Strategic, capital structure and transactional advice to various primary and rural sector companies including in New Zealand's co-operative and mutual sectors

World class and very strategic with an ‘excellent reputation’ in the corporate governance and transactional spheres, especially where complex takeover matters are concerned.

- Chambers Global and Chambers Asia Pacific