Mei Fern Johnson

Practice Areas

Mei Fern has significant experience advising on complex commercial contracting and on mergers and acquisitions, with particular expertise in infrastructure, technology, transport and energy (including oil and gas) projects, and joint ventures and collaborative contracting. She acts for multinationals, as well as significant New Zealand businesses and investors, and for public sector entities.

She brings commerciality and operational insight, and a deep understanding of the applicable regulatory frameworks of the industries her projects operate in, including obtaining regulatory consent for foreign investment in New Zealand. She is experienced in stakeholder management, having worked on high profile, sensitive and multi-party projects, also providing expert advice in major procurement and tendering processes, including Government tender processes.

Mei Fern is sought out for her advice on strategic matters in the transport, infrastructure and energy sectors. She was appointed as a director of Crown Infrastructure Partners Limited (an investor of approximately $2.3 billion across a diverse range of infrastructure programmes around New Zealand), and an independent member of the Capital and Infrastructure Board Committee for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (established in 2022 to run New Zealand's health system, and merge the functions of the 20 District Health Boards around the country).

Mei Fern is also a co-editor of Russell McVeagh's popular Energy Blog.

Career

Mei Fern was admitted to practise in New Zealand in 2000. She is an experienced adviser to Board members and senior executives, including from her time as (Acting) General Counsel at a substantial and high-profile Crown entity.

Professional Memberships

Mei Fern was elected to the Russell McVeagh Board as Deputy Chair from February 2018 to February 2021, and as a Board member in 2021, with compulsory retirement in February 2022. She is a member of Global Women and the Institute of Directors and formerly chaired Russell McVeagh's Innovation Committee.

Publications

Mei Fern co-authored the New Zealand chapters of the Chambers and Partners Public Procurement and Government Contracts Law Global Practice Guide 2019 and The Energy Regulation and Markets Review (2nd Edition).