John Mollard is a partner in the Firm’s Melbourne office. He practices in the areas of M&A and direct foreign investment, with a strong focus in the energy, resources, agriculture and banking sectors. John lived and worked in China and Southeast Asia for more than 10 years and speaks Mandarin.

Practice Focus

John advises Australian clients on their strategic expansion in Asia and Africa, and represents Asian corporations in their Australian and regional activities. He actively travels throughout Asia and Africa and regularly acts for Indian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese clients on their foreign investment strategies. John is also the head of the China Group for Baker & McKenzie in Australia and co-chairs the Resources group. His experience, together with Baker & McKenzie's leading Asian practice, creates a significant platform of legal services for clients with pan-Asia and Australasian operations.

Representative Legal Matters

• Advised Guangdong Rising Assets Management Ltd on the due diligence, investment approvals and Australian aspects of its acquisition by scheme of arrangement of AIM listed Caledon Resources Plc, and its Mt Cook and Minyango coal assets in Queensland.
• Advised Guangdong Rising Assets Management Ltd in relation to its strategic investment in ASX-listed PanAust Ltd, with copper and gold mining operations in Laos and Thailand.
• Advised Trafigura with respect to its strategic investment, financing and offtake with the dual-listed ASX/TSX-listed Tiger Resources Ltd, with an operating copper mine in the DRC.
• Advised Castlemaine Goldfields on its acquisition of the Ballarat Goldfields Project from Lihr.
• Advised CNMC in relation to its proposed purchase of a majority stake in and financing of ASX-listed rare earths miner Lynas Corporation Limited.
• Advised WISCO in relation to its proposed investment and finance of Riversdale Mining Ltd and the development of the Zambeze Coking Coal Project in Mozambique.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• ACBC - Victorian Branch Committee
• AMPLA, Resources and Energy Law Association - Victorian Committee

Admission

England & Wales~United Kingdom (1997)
Hong Kong (1996)
Victoria~Australia (1993)

Education

Nanjing University  (Post Graduate Studies Mandarin Chinese) (1993)
Monash University  (Bachelor's Degree Law) (1992)
Monash University  (Bachelor of Economics) (1989)