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Connor McClymont
Senior Associate
Connor McClymont is a senior associate in the Corporate and Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & Digital Assets Practice Groups. Connor advises on a wide range of corporate transactions, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, joint venture interests, projects and capital markets, particularly for clients in the natural resources and minerals sector. Connor has acted on behalf of both operators and minority interest holders on legal matters impacting ownership and control of some of the largest and longstanding resource projects in Australia. Connor also has particular expertise in data privacy and cybersecurity regulatory compliance and best practice, where he works with clients to implement bespoke compliance frameworks and offers advice grounded in understanding the nature of their operations. He has advised clients on a range of matters in related fields, including Australia’s foreign investment regime.
Connor’s corporate transactional experience includes advising on a variety of public and private mergers and acquisitions; cross-border transactions; and joint venture establishment and investment and capital market raisings, such as initial public offerings, rights issues and placements.
In relation to data privacy and cybersecurity, Connor advises on domestic and international standards and regulatory regimes, as well as data transfer compliance in domestic and cross-border transactions. He is adept at developing effective privacy policies and internal operative procedures and has undertaken in-depth due diligence and audits on operational practice to evaluate privacy processes, identify risk and advise on best practice compliance updates.
Connor was named as a Rising Star for Corporate and Commercial Law in Western Australia in Doyle’s Guide 2022 and was a finalist in the Projects, Energy and Resources category in Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 in 2023.
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Acting for Metals Acquisition Limited (NYSE:MTAL) in connection with its acquisition of Glencore’s “CSA” mine in New South Wales for a total purchase price of circa US$1.1 billion.
- Acting for ITOCHU Iron Ore Australia, a subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation, in connection with the acquisition of a partial interest in the Western Ridge iron ore project owned by BHP.
- Advising ITOCHU Corporation on Australian law matters in connection with its acquisition of a minority interest in the AMMC joint venture project for US$560 million.
- Acting for Singular Health Group Ltd on its acquisition of Global3D.
- Advised Sezzle Inc. (ASX:SZL) on its proposed merger with Zip Co for AU$491 million.
- Acting for Animoca Group on its acquisitions of Be Media Group and Grease Monkey Games Pty Ltd, addressing “new economy” issues, such as cryptocurrency, NFTs and blockchain technology.
- Advising Altrad Australia (a subsidiary of the Altrad Investment Authority) on its acquisition of Valmec Limited (ASX: VMX) for AU$52 million via scheme of arrangement.
- Advising the government of the Republic of Fiji on the disposal of 44% of the issued share capital of Energy Fiji Limited, Fiji’s principal electricity provider.
- Acting for Eco Minerals Research Ltd. in connection with its takeover by Clean Earth Technologies Pte. Ltd.
Equity Capital Markets
- Advising Metals Acquisition Limited on a US$55 million private placement to Osisko and Sprott in connection with purchase of CSA Mine.
- Advising Ausgold Limited on its AU$12 million placement in April 2023 and AU$16.6 million capital raising in April 2022.
- Acting for Alvo Minerals Limited (ASX:ALV) on its AU$10 million initial public offering and listing to the ASX.
- Acting for Sezzle Inc. on its US$217 million initial public offering and listing to the ASX.
- Acting for AIM-listed GB Group Plc on its Australian employee options issue, including preparation and lodgement of its prospectuses, throughout 2019-2022.
- Acting for ASX-listed Eastern Goldfields Limited on its US$2.8 million rights issue entitlement offer.
- Advising various ASX-listed mining entities with preparation of disclosure documents and Listing Rules compliance frameworks in multimillion-dollar capital raisings.
Projects and Resources
- Acting for Metals Acquisition Limited in connection with its 1.5% net smelter life of mine royalty to Glencore in connection with the acquisition of CSA Mine.
- Acting for Metals Acquisition Limited in connection with a US$75 million silver stream prepurchase and a US$75 million copper stream prepurchase from Osisko in connection with acquisition of CSA Mine.
General Corporate Advisory
- Acting for Kunteng Pte Ltd in Takeovers Panel proceedings with respect to Beston Global Food Company Limited.
- Acting for a range of companies in relation to members’ meetings and corporate governance and regulatory matters, including compliance with the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and ASX Listing Rules.
- Advising pro bono clients, including Middle Stump Initiative Limited, on the incorporation and registration of not-for-profit entities as incorporated associations and companies limited by guarantee.
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
- Acting as an independent privacy impact assessor for a major Australian provider of identity verification services in connection with an application for accreditation with the Australian Trusted Digital Identity Framework.
- Advising the Western Australian Football Commission on implementation of a whole-of-organisation privacy and cybersecurity compliance framework.
- Acting for SFW Capital Partners in connection with its majority investment in Captify Technologies Ltd, a “privacy first” search technology provider, advising on Australian privacy compliance matters in the context of complex cross-border operations.
- Acting for GB Group plc in its acquisition of Vix Verify Global, a provider of identity verification and location intelligence solutions, in the context of a multimillion-dollar cross-border transaction with respect to data privacy and cybersecurity transfer and compliance issues.
- Acting for an international mining entity liaising with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner in connection with a data breach.
- Advising an international data analytics company with respect to data breach concerns.
- Advising numerous clients including an international telecommunications provider, global advertisers, a large automotive services provider and global merchant operators on the application of data privacy and cybersecurity regulations to their Australian operations.
- Completing and advising on various cross-border private equity transactions, involving the sale and disclosure of personal data in compliance with international privacy regimes.
Education
- The College of Law, GDLP, 2017
- University of Western Australia, LL.B., B.A. (History), 2016
Admissions
- Supreme Court of Western Australia, 2017
- Named as a Rising Star for Corporate and Commercial Law in Western Australia in Doyle’s Guide 2022
- Finalist in Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30, 2023 – Projects, Energy and Resources category
- Author, “Australia Gets Serious on Data Breaches, Increased Penalties and Changes Proposed to Australia’s Notifiable Data Breach Scheme”, October 2022.
- Co-author, “Who ‘HODLs’ the Power in the Australian Crypto Market: Regulation of Australian Crypto-assets”, October 2022.
- Co-author, “Getting the Deal Through – Public Mergers & Acquisitions, Australia”, April 2022.
- Co-author, “Australia’s Online Privacy Bill and Privacy Act Discussion Paper: First Steps Towards an Enhanced Australian Privacy Regime”, November 2021.
- Co-author, “The Big Squeeze – GameStop and the Battle Between Wall Street and WallStreetBets”, 29 January 2021.
- Co-author, “Protecting Australia’s National Security – Proposed Changes to Australia’s Foreign Investment Approval”, 16 September 2020.
- Co-author, “The Energy Regulation and Markets Review, Australia”, August 2020.
- Presenter, “Autonomous Vehicles & Future Cities”, Liveable Cities Conference, June 2020.
- Author, “How Safe is ‘COVIDSafe’ – Australia’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing App”, 30 April 2020.
- Author, “COVID-19’s Impact on Traffic Congestion in Australia and Potential Implications for the Deployment of Autonomous Vehicles”, 9 April 2020.
- Co-author, “Data Privacy and Protection – A New Focus within Australian Takeovers Law”, 12 March 2020.
- Co-author, “Blowing the Whistle on this Festive Season: Revised Whistleblower Policies Required by 1 January 2020”, 17 December 2019.
- Co-author, “The Future of Australian Urban Design in the Age of Autonomous Vehicles – how can we deliver utopian outcomes?” International Urban Designs Conference, 13 November 2019.
- Co-author, “Australia’s New Commitment to Funding Rare Earth and Critical Minerals Projects opens up AU$3 billion Defence Export Facility to Junior Explorers Searching for Financing Solutions”, 14 November 2019.
- Co-author, “Submissions to the Western Australian Government on Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing”, 1 November 2019.
- Co-author, “The Un-healthiness of the Australian Health Sector’s Data Security”, 17 May 2019.
- Co-author, “Submissions to the National Transport Commission on Regulating Government Access to C-ITS and Automated Vehicle Data”, November 2018.
- Co-author, “Once More Unto the Data Breach – Rising Risks to Business Identified in New OAIC Report”, 31 July 2018.
- Co-author, “Getting the Deal Through – Corporate Governance”, July 2018.
- Co-author, “The Energy Regulation & Markets Review – Australia”, seventh edition, 2018.