Michael Johns
Email
Background
Michael is a Partner in the insolvency and restructuring team at Maddocks. In 2008 and 2009 Michael has undertaken secondments with ANZ Corporate Portfolio Management and ANZ Lending Services (Institutional) while the corporate solicitor was on leave. During those secondments, he had involvement in a range of recovery and strategic work-out matters including aspects of Centro, Opes Prime and Great Southern Limited.
After graduating, Michael worked with a national law firm for five years in Melbourne and London. He then worked as a Corporate Solicitor with ANZ Bank, managing litigation conducted by external solicitors and promoting the selection of the most appropriate litigation or ADR options for cost effective recovery. In that role, he participated in a number of mediations and also organised and participated in training courses on negotiation and ADR techniques. He has also been a member of the ADR Committee of the Law Institute of Victoria.
Legal Expertise
Michael’s practice focuses on:
- insolvency (including commercial advice and conducting insolvency and securities enforcement litigation);
- securities, managed investments and financial services reform (including licensing).
As well as a range of insolvency practitioners, he acts for secured lenders, including ANZ Bank, Esanda Finance, Commonwealth Bank, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, and also a well-known franchisor (as a secured creditor) in securities enforcement and recovery.
Relevant Experience
Recent insolvency-related experience includes:
- acting for an administrator, then deed administrator, in the reconstruction and subsequent relisting of a listed public company in the IT industry
- advising an administrator appointed to a service provider by the State Government under the Intellectually Disabled Persons Services Act
- acting for a liquidator appointed to a group of companies on application by ASIC for breach of the managed investment provisions.
Michael is also responsible for the firm’s Securities, Managed Investments and Financial Services team. His recent experience in that area includes advising clients on:
- prospectus and due diligence requirements for residential/golf club developments
- advice and structuring to take advantage of exemptions from the financial services regime
Michael’s practice also covers distribution and supply arrangements, sales and purchases of businesses, resolution of shareholder and partnership disputes and corporate restructuring.