John Melia

Partner | Corporate & Commercial

 

profile

John Melia is a partner in the Corporate & Commercial department and the Isle of Man Team Leader for the Segregated Accounts/Portfolio Companies team. He has extensive experience dealing with mergers and acquisitions, listings, private equity transactions, banking and finance matters, and general corporate/commercial matters. 

He joined the firm in January 2006 from Richards Butler in Hong Kong, where he was partner and chief representative of the Beijing office. He was made a partner in the Isle of Man in 2008.

John was named as a 'Leader in his Field' by Chambers UK 2012. He was also named as a ‘Leader in his Field’ by Chambers Europe 2011 and 2010. Chambers Global 2009 notes that John's star is rising in the commercial world. Legal 500 2009 also comments that John is 'pragmatic, easy to deal with and personable' and 'has massive experience having worked for major firms in London, the Middle East and also the Far East'. Which Lawyer PLC? 2009 also highly recommends John as a versatile corporate, commercial and banking lawyer with extensive experience in M&A, private equity transactions and joint ventures

ADMISSIONS

Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales (non-practising), 1994

Isle of Man Advocate, 2007

Solicitor of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (British Virgin Islands), 2010

Solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong (non-practising), 2002

expertise

Some recent examples of John’s representative work include advising:
  • Emerald Energy PLC in relation to its takeover (by way of scheme of arrangement) by Sinochem Resources (UK) Limited
  • Several life insurance companies in relation to issues arising out of the insolvency of Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander (Isle of Man) Limited
  • STM Group plc on its admission to AIM
  • Econergy International plc in relation to its proposed takeover by Trading Emissions plc (by way of scheme of arrangement) and its eventual takeover by Suez Energy South America Latin Participacoes Ltda.
  • Anglo Irish Bank Corporation on the disposal of its fiduciary business

education

University of Cambridge (England)