Partner

t: +64 9 355 1506
m: +64 21 885 559
e: chris.linton@dawsonharford.com
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Chris is a specialist corporate/commercial and technology lawyer. Her extensive experience includes technology and communications transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and venture capital.

Examples of significant transactions:

• Advised State Services Commission on the Government Shared Network, a complex multi-sourcing  project to provide shared critical infrastructure for government.

• Advised Intralot S.A. on its electronic monitoring of class 4 gaming machines services contract with the Department of Internal Affairs and structuring and establishing its New Zealand business.

• Advised Fonterra Co-operative Group on its global ERP implementation projects with SAP and JD Edwards, Microsoft enterprise licensing and other major technology implementation and licensing projects.

• Advised Andrew Corporation on acquiring a New Zealand mobile telephone business, divesting the mobile duplexer manufacturing business and licensing, manufacturing and sales contracts.

• Advised Ministry of Economic Development on its computer services systems outsourcing to Fujitsu.

• Advised Ministry of Transport on the strategy and procurement process, and drafted and negotiated contracts for the electronic road user charges project, stage 1, relating to toll road infrastructure.

• Advised MCI WorldCom on the US$1 billion Southern Cross submarine cable joint venture with Telecom and Cable & Wireless Optus, including the shareholders’ agreement, inter-party guarantees, equity contributions, and other sharing arrangements, call option deeds, through to cross border issues (New Zealand, Australia, California, Hawaii and Bermuda), cable companies, backhaul, interconnection, landing party and capacity use arrangements. 

• Advised Department of Child, Youth and Family (now Ministry of Social Development) on its financial reporting system upgrade, hardware, and IS outsourcing projects, the review of its case management system project (including the offshore licensing proposals) and complex IP issues.

• Advised Macquarie Bank and Macquarie New Zealand on numerous acquisitions, establishing wholesale broking operations in New Zealand, becoming a member of NZX and acquiring JP Morgan's New Zealand retail equities business.  

• Advised Meridian Energy on its strategic sourcing strategy and implementation, including IT procurement and support, telecoms infrastructure management, financial management information, financial services operations, generation control systems (outsourcing), IP licensing and on its investments in emerging IT, electricity metering and micro generation technologies.

• Advised EDS on major public and private sector outsourcing transactions, software development, systems implementation, cheque imaging and licensing projects.

• Advised Promina on the commercial and regulatory review of the technology aspects of its New Zealand business.

• Advised Pacific Hydro, an Australian generator on acquiring and operating its Bay of Plenty Electricity joint venture, divesting its interest and corporate migration.

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