Our People

Our People
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... Read more

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.

Director
Annie is a specialist corporate lawyer with expertise in domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions and divestments, equity capital markets transactions, private securities offerings, joint ventures... Read more

Annie is a specialist corporate lawyer with expertise in domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions and divestments, equity capital markets transactions, private securities offerings, joint ventures and other high value transactions. She also regularly advises on NZX and securities law compliance and foreign investment into New Zealand.

Annie acts for clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, agriculture and dairy, corporate real estate and telecommunications.  She is the legal adviser to a number of NZX and/or ASX listed entities, including The a2 Milk Company, Argosy Property and Green Cross Health.

Before joining Harmos Horton Lusk, Annie was a corporate associate at Bell Gully.

Recognition

A number of the transactions on which Annie has advised have been nominated for industry awards. Annie was also a finalist in the Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year (35 and Younger) category at the 2018 NZ Law Awards.

Director
Nathanael specialises in domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets and listed company compliance and corporate governance. Nathanael is one of New... Read more

Nathanael specialises in domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets and listed company compliance and corporate governance.

Nathanael is one of New Zealand’s leading public takeover lawyers (both takeover bids under the Takeovers Code and schemes of arrangement). He co-leads the firm’s public takeovers practice and has advised on some of the most notable transactions under the Takeovers Code, including the highest value public takeover and highest value takeover-by-scheme in New Zealand corporate history.

Nathanael was appointed to the Takeovers Panel, the regulator of public takeovers in New Zealand, in 2016. He was also a member of the regulatory working group of the Capital Markets 2029 Taskforce (an industry review of New Zealand's capital markets initiated by NZX and the Financial Markets Authority).

Recognition

Nathanael is recognised as a ‘leading individual’ for Corporate/M&A by Asia Pacific Legal 500 (which has described him as an “intelligent, commercial as well as pragmatic” lawyer who “finds ways to do things others say you can’t”).  He is also ranked for Corporate/Commercial by Chambers Global and Chambers Asia Pacific (which describes him as “a very commercially astute lawyer who offers good, pragmatic advice”), is recommended as a ‘distinguished practitioner’ for Corporate/M&A by Asia Law Profiles and as ‘highly regarded’ for M&A and Private Equity by IFLR1000. 

Nathanael was a finalist for New Zealand Dealmaker of the Year at the 2022 and at the 2021 Australasian Law Awards and he was also named as one of only eight ‘top’ corporate lawyers in New Zealand in the New Zealand Herald’s 2022 Power List. 

Over the last eight years, Nathanael has been the lead legal adviser on 14 transactions that have been nominated for, or won, transaction awards at the New Zealand Law Awards (including in the M&A Deal of the Year, International Deal of the Year, Equity Market Deal of the Year and Mid-Market Deal of the Year categories). 

Governance and other roles

Nathanael is a member of the Takeovers Panel, the government body responsible for regulating public takeovers in New Zealand.  He is also a trustee of the Laidlaw College Foundation, an endowment fund for a private tertiary training institution – with a multi-million dollar investment portfolio and substantial land holdings. Nathanael is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

Director
Emma has considerable experience in corporate and commercial transactions both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.  Emma specialises in advising on acquisitions, divestments, takeovers, joint... Read more

Emma has considerable experience in corporate and commercial transactions both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.  Emma specialises in advising on acquisitions, divestments, takeovers, joint ventures and shareholding arrangements. She also advises listed and unlisted companies on general corporate and securities law matters, including corporate reorganisations, private capital raisings, public securities offers and employee share schemes.

Before joining Harmos Horton Lusk, Emma was a senior associate at Russell McVeagh in Auckland, a senior associate at Allen & Overy in London and an associate at Kensington Swan in Auckland.

Recognition

A number of the transactions on which Emma has advised have been nominated for industry awards.

Director
Tim specialises in corporate and securities law, with particular expertise in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and joint venture transactions. He acts for clients in a wide range of... Read more

Tim specialises in corporate and securities law, with particular expertise in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and joint venture transactions. He acts for clients in a wide range of industries and regularly advises some of New Zealand’s leading listed corporates and privately-held companies.

Tim is a leading securities lawyer, with extensive experience in equity capital markets transactions including initial public offerings, direct listings, secondary capital raisings and block trades. His experience includes advising AFT Pharmaceuticals on its initial public offering and NZX / ASX dual listing, Radius Residential Care on its direct listing on the NZX Main Board and MOVE Logistics Group on its reverse listing on the NZX Main Board.

His international experience includes working as a senior associate in the corporate and private equity teams at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London.

Recognition

Tim is ranked as a leading lawyer for a Corporate/Commercial by Chambers Global and Chambers Asia Pacific and has been described as "receiving extensive praise for his strong expertise in corporate law". Asia Pacific Legal 500 describes Tim as “commercially astute, incredibly responsive and a problem solver”. He is also recognised as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A by Asia Law Profiles.

A number of the transactions on which Tim has advised have won or been nominated for industry awards, including transactions that were nominated as M&A Deal of the Year at the 2019, 2017 and 2015 NZ Law Awards. In addition, Tim was recognised in the NZ Lawyer Hot List for 2016.

Consultant
Greg, one of the firm’s two serving co-founders, retired as a director in 2019. Greg has significant expertise and deep experience in advising international and domestic clients (including industry... Read more

Greg, one of the firm’s two serving co-founders, retired as a director in 2019.

Greg has significant expertise and deep experience in advising international and domestic clients (including industry participants and private equity sponsors) on a wide range of transactions and is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading mergers and acquisitions lawyers.

He remains involved in, and continues to be available to, the firm and our clients in a consulting role. In addition, as a trusted adviser to a significant number of high net worth individuals and family offices, Greg continues to advise on family structuring, inter-generational wealth transfer and related issues. He also assists our directors on strategic advice and input on complex corporate transactions and issues.

Before co-founding Harmos Horton Lusk, Greg was a senior associate at Russell McVeagh in New Zealand and at Cravath Swaine & Moore in New York.

Recognition

Greg is individually ranked for Corporate/Commercial by Chambers Global and Chambers Asia Pacific, and is described as “a leading transactional lawyer” who “focuses on what the issues are, seeks solutions and delivers the outcomes.”

Greg is also recognised as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A by Asia Law Profiles and is individually ranked for M&A by IFLR 1000, which describes Greg as “excellent, technically able, commercially astute and efficient”.

Governance and other roles

Greg has significant governance experience across a range of industries and sectors.

Special Counsel
Paul is a very senior and highly regarded practitioner, with over 40 years of corporate legal experience. He advises on a wide range of transactions, including public and private mergers and acquisitions... Read more

Paul is a very senior and highly regarded practitioner, with over 40 years of corporate legal experience. He advises on a wide range of transactions, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings and complex joint venture arrangements.

Paul has particular expertise in advising boards of directors on liability and risk mitigation - including director indemnities and directors’ insurance. He was the specialist independent adviser to the board of Fonterra on the $525 million NZX Main Board listing of units in the Fonterra Shareholders Fund, the board of Mighty River Power on its $1.7 billion ‘mixed ownership model’ initial public offering and NZX Main Board listing of that company and the board of Meridian on its $1.9 billion ‘mixed ownership model’ initial public offering and NZX Main Board listing.

Before joining Harmos Horton Lusk, Paul was a senior corporate partner at Russell McVeagh.

Recognition

Paul is individually ranked for Corporate/Commercial by Chambers Global and Chambers Asia Pacific, and is recognised for “his adept handling of M&A transactions and capital market matters.”

Paul is also recognised as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A by Asia Law Profiles and is individually ranked for M&A by IFLR 1000.

Senior Associate
Jason is a senior associate who advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions. His transaction experience includes public and private equity capital raisings, mergers and... Read more

Jason is a senior associate who advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions. His transaction experience includes public and private equity capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions, takeover response, governance advice, managed investment schemes, shareholding arrangements, financing matters, property matters, cross-border transactions and commercial contracts. Jason also advises on securities and corporate compliance matters for a number of listed and unlisted issuers.

Before joining Harmos Horton Lusk, Jason was an associate at Russell McVeagh.

Associate
Anthony joined Harmos Horton Lusk in 2017 and is an associate with experience in a variety of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, capital raisings and private equity... Read more

Anthony joined Harmos Horton Lusk in 2017 and is an associate with experience in a variety of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, capital raisings and private equity transactions.

Associate
Robbie joined Harmos Horton Lusk as an associate in 2022. He has experience across a range of corporate matters including capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions and venture capital transactions.

Robbie joined Harmos Horton Lusk as an associate in 2022. He has experience across a range of corporate matters including capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions and venture capital transactions.

Associate
Fletcher returned to Harmos Horton Lusk full-time in February 2020 after having worked at the firm over July/August 2019 before he went on his overseas travels. The firm appealed to him as it stood out as... Read more

Fletcher returned to Harmos Horton Lusk full-time in February 2020 after having worked at the firm over July/August 2019 before he went on his overseas travels. The firm appealed to him as it stood out as different from a standard commercial legal practice. His perception was that the people there were uniquely focused on helping clients solve some of the most complex legal issues with a firmly commercial approach.

Here’s Fletcher’s experience in his own words.

Invaluable experience

I had the opportunity to work as an associate at HHL before moving to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (a magic circle firm in London) in 2022.  The years I spent at HHL gave me the opportunity to learn from some of the best corporate lawyers in New Zealand - including those who have previously worked at top US and UK law firms.  HHL is unique in how much responsibility is given to junior associates at an early stage in their career. This approach to junior development, as well as the breadth and quality of corporate work that HHL advises on, has also been invaluable for practising law overseas. 

I cannot recommend HHL highly enough as a place to begin a career for students interested in corporate law.  The directors and associates at the firm are excellent corporate lawyers – but of equal importance, great mentors and teachers.

Mentorship

The experience was better than I imagined. What has stood out was how generous everyone is with their time. The directors and associates will make sure you understand the background to any piece of work you’re given and always take the time to give you feedback. You’re learning from some of the top commercial lawyers in the country and are part of a team that is invested in your development and wants to see you succeed.

Responsibility

The level of responsibility given to me from day one surprised me.  Senior staff and directors encourage you to find solutions yourself and ask for your opinion. It means you learn a lot very quickly and feel as though your work is adding real value to the team. 

The learning curve in the first few months is steep, but you are given all the support you need. Senior members of the firm will go above and beyond to include you in projects and make sure you understand the relevant issues. Harmos Horton Lusk is unique in that you will usually be working directly with a director and getting to see how they engage with and help our clients first-hand.

Teamwork

Harmos Horton Lusk operates as one team, which means you work with most of the directors and associates across the firm. I really enjoyed that. I’ve had the opportunity to help with M&A transactions, corporate governance and capital markets matters to date.

Because it is a relatively small team, there is a tight-knit culture, which is important to everyone there.  The firm invests heavily in initiatives such as team lunches, drinks after work and social functions.

Understanding the commercial world

As a piece of advice, I would encourage junior corporate lawyers to keep updated on developments across the New Zealand business sector.  Having an understanding of the commercial environment that clients operate in will help you recognise their priorities – and being able to reflect these priorities in legal advice is a point of difference for HHL.

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Associate
Luke joined Harmos Horton Lusk in February 2020. He knew that the people there are at the very top of their game, and regularly work on the largest corporate deals in the country. He wanted to be part of... Read more

Luke joined Harmos Horton Lusk in February 2020. He knew that the people there are at the very top of their game, and regularly work on the largest corporate deals in the country. He wanted to be part of that.

Here’s Luke’s experience in his own words.

Inclusion

Right from the get-go I’ve been treated like a valued member of the team. The directors have gone out of their way to get to know me and include me in their work, and everyone is so friendly and welcoming.  I love working in an environment where people work hard and are focused and incredibly astute, but at the same time helpful, easy-going and fun. I look forward to going to work every single day.

Development

I knew that I’d be involved in high calibre work at Harmos Horton Lusk, alongside very well-respected people in the corporate law space, and that’s definitely the case. 

On my first day I worked on a large deal, which featured numerous difficult procedural hurdles. I really enjoyed learning the background of the companies involved, the context of the deal, and the complexity of the directors’ roles in managing the processes and players involved. It’s a steep learning curve and I love the challenge of that.

Respect

It’s well known that Harmos Horton Lusk is one of the top corporate law firms in the country, and the people who work there are some of the best in the business. I feel very fortunate and extremely proud to say that I am now part of the team.

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Associate
Yvonne joined Harmos Horton Lusk in February 2021 after summer clerking with the firm in the summer of 2019/20. She applied for the summer clerk position because she has a particular interest in... Read more

Yvonne joined Harmos Horton Lusk in February 2021 after summer clerking with the firm in the summer of 2019/20. She applied for the summer clerk position because she has a particular interest in corporate law, and she had heard about Harmos Horton Lusk’s reputation as one of the leading corporate law firms in New Zealand. 

Here’s Yvonne’s experience as a summer clerk in her own words.

Varied

Harmos Horton Lusk is even better than I had imagined. They are a well-renowned corporate law firm and I assisted with work for a wide range of clients in many different industries. I helped with legal research, writing, searches, and many other legal tasks. It was a great experience – diverse and challenging - so I was really pleased to join the firm as a Graduate.

Educational

I felt I was constantly learning from the senior members of the firm – everyone was very inclusive, and always willing to help and answer my questions. I found the trainings to be invaluable. They covered a broad range of topics relevant to corporate law. I found that having the trainings spread out amongst other work for clients made for a more valuable learning experience as I was able to develop a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the concepts taught by applying them in a real-world context.

Ambition

Harmos Horton Lusk has a fantastic culture. There is a real sense of teamwork, and people are hard- working and driven to achieve the best results for clients. At the same time they’re kind and always ready to laugh. I thoroughly enjoyed working as a part of the Harmos Horton Lusk team!

Looking back

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at HHL and feel as though it provided a strong foundation to my career, honing skills that are applicable across countries and industries.   HHL is committed to delivering excellent results for clients every time, and this is a value I have carried forward into my current role and continues to serve me well.

HHL operates with a uniquely flat structure giving you the opportunity to work with colleagues at all levels of seniority. During my time at the firm, I was fortunate to spend a considerable amount of time working closely with the directors which provided me with invaluable learning opportunities. I would encourage other junior lawyers to seek out these opportunities where they can – this isn’t something that every firm offers!

The team at HHL is unmatched and it is truly a fantastic place to start your career in corporate law.

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Graduate
Tallara joined HHL as a graduate after summer clerking at the firm.  What initially drew her to HHL was her interest in corporate law along with the tight-knit culture which she could sense from the... Read more

Tallara joined HHL as a graduate after summer clerking at the firm.  What initially drew her to HHL was her interest in corporate law along with the tight-knit culture which she could sense from the moment she set foot in the HHL offices.  During her time at HHL, she has been impressed by the high quality of work and the firm’s unique focus on helping clients solve complex legal issues through a strategic and commercially orientated approach.  Here’s Tallara’s experience in her own words.

Varied

Right from my very first day at HHL, I was expected to help with workstreams that were critical to delivering outcomes for clients. This reflects the amount of autonomy and responsibility you receive at HHL, which has accelerated my growth and development as a lawyer.  Within the first month of starting as a graduate, I found myself helping draft transaction documents, due diligence reports, research memorandums and having direct contact with clients and other lawyers. 

Responsibility

Because of HHL’s flat structure, I work directly with directors and senior associates on complex transactions and get to follow a deal from start to finish. This means I have been able to learn directly from some of New Zealand’s leading corporate lawyers, not only regarding technical legal skills, but also client interaction, negotiation, communication and transaction management.

Teamwork

Alongside the high quality work HHL does, the best part of working at HHL is the team.  Everyone is willing to take the time to provide context before giving you an instruction and answer any questions you might have. We all take an interest in each other’s personal lives and successes, and there is plenty of camaraderie and banter. We also have a team lunch every Wednesday, and often go out for team drinks and functions.

Respect

While the learning curve at HHL is steep, I enjoy the challenge and the team always go above and beyond to support each other.

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Associate
Robbie joined Harmos Horton Lusk in October 2022 from a specialist corporate, commercial and technology firm. He was looking for more complexity and greater exposure to a broad variety of corporate law.... Read more

Robbie joined Harmos Horton Lusk in October 2022 from a specialist corporate, commercial and technology firm. He was looking for more complexity and greater exposure to a broad variety of corporate law. He was drawn to HHL because of its excellent reputation as New Zealand’s premier specialist corporate firm.

Accelerated development

My growth since joining the firm has been exponential. One of the things that makes the HHL experience distinct from other firms is the amount of responsibility given to its associates.  Because of this, I am a vastly more confident and experienced lawyer than I was just 18 months ago. I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with all of the directors on a range of matters and have learned invaluable lessons from each of them.

Continuous learning

Ensuring you develop as a ‘complete’ corporate lawyer is a key priority here. Rather than being allocated the same types of transactions over and over, the directors make sure you are constantly exposed to a variety. Your development is always front of mind, and you’re not restricted to a particular aspect of corporate law. The directors are great at challenging you but always making you feel well supported. They are accessible and eager to help you progress.

Client centric approach

Another unique aspect of the HHL experience is its client-centric approach. At HHL, associates aren’t organised around a particular director but instead loosely around particular clients. This means you get to know certain clients and their businesses well and follow their progress from matter to matter. It also gives you a direct line of sight into how directors develop and maintain their relationships with clients and how they adapt to different clients with different needs.

Team

The HHL team is relatively small and very close knit – we all get on well with one another.  Because of this, there is a big emphasis on hiring people who will fit in well with the whole team. I met almost every member of the team while I was interviewing for HHL, and have been part of the hiring process since joining. As associates, we often go out for lunch or have coffee with potential team members to gauge how they will fit with the team.

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Corporate boutique Harmos Horton Lusk is ‘highly recommended for the great skills’ of its directors.

- Asia Pacific Legal 500