David Turner
David Turner
Head of Legal Operations
+61 (0)2 8313 6590
david.turner@assuredlegal.com.au
1 minute with David
– Which apocalyptic dystopia do you think is most likely? All matter is converted into paperclips.
– If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose? Time travel. It’s like mind reading (just guess, and when they tell you you’re wrong, rewind and answer again), super speed (travel anywhere, rewind back the travel time), and omniscience (plenty of time to learn about anything and everything, whenever you need to) all in one.
– Do you prefer cats or dogs? How can I choose? If I do, it will get back to either my dog or my cat, somehow, and then I’ll be in trouble.
– What was the last song you sung along to? “From Little Things, Big Things Grow” by Paul Kelly.
– What still makes you cringe when you think back on it? That time in high school when I thought dreadlocks were a good idea. No, I do not have any photos (all burned, long ago).
– What book or movie has had the greatest influence on your life? Freedom, by Jonathan Franzen. ‘Use well thy freedom’ are words to live by.
– Would you accept a one-way ticket to Mars? Absolutely, and I’m expecting to receive my invitation soon. I’m sure one of the first things they will need up there is a corporate lawyer…
– An epic feast is held in your honour, what’s on the table? Pastries! Pain au chocolate, croissants, Danishes, cannoli, Bakewell tarts, pies… Carbs are the best.
– What’s your secret talent? This is not really a secret, because I am always offering unsolicited ‘fascinating facts’, but I am full of trivia and esoterica. When we had a planking competition in the office, I watched Jeopardy! during our planking sessions, and I run our Friday afternoon trivia competitions.
To watch a little video about Walt David, click here.
Experience
General experience overview
David has advised clients on the full spectrum of corporate legal issues – from helping founders of new businesses with structuring and governance, to growing companies through debt financing, equity capital raising, and M&A activity, through to acting for insolvency practitioners, directors and creditors in corporate insolvency processes.
He combines deep corporations law knowledge with broad experience across both transactional and disputes matters, having practised both in a top-tier international law firm and as a barrister before joining Assured Legal Solutions.
David is a co-founder of Lext Australia, a legal technology start-up on a mission to make the law easier to practise and easier to access. At Assured, David heads up our legal operations department, ensuring that our team delivers results more efficiently and more accurately through innovative tools, technologies and processes.
Major transactions
Below is a selection of matters David has worked on, both at Assured and at previous organisations:
– Advising leading restructuring firm PPB Advisory on its merger with PwC Australia.
– Advising Balmain, Goldman Sachs and PPB Advisory in the receivership of a large commercial property at Alexandria, which was sold to Dexus for more than $100 million.
– Advising and appearing as counsel for a technology start-up incubator in multiple concurrent Supreme Court proceedings concerning the governance and control of listed and unlisted public companies.
– Acting for the receivers and managers of Dick Smith Electronics, the liquidators of Howard Storage World, and the receiver and manager of certain companies in the Ralan Group.
– Acting for the founder shareholders of MyHealth Medical Group, the fastest-growing group of medical practices in Australia, in connection with Medibank’s acquisition of a minority stake in the group; and acting for MyHealth on its growth through M&A activity.
– Advising a medical technology start-up on corporate structuring, privacy and data regulation, and employee share incentives.
– Advising fintech and payments systems start-ups on legal aspects of product structuring.
– Appearing as counsel for both liquidators and examinees in public examination matters, in respect of both companies wound in insolvency and wound up on just and equitable grounds.
Professional qualifications and admissions
2018 – 2022, Executive MBA
Australian Graduate School of Management
2016, Called to the NSW Bar (2016)
2013, Admission as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and of the High Court of Australia
2013, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GCLP)
College of Law
2008-2012, Bachelor of Laws (with Honours)
Macquarie University
2008-2012, Bachelor of Arts
Macquarie University
Career history
2022-present, Co-founder, Lext Australia
2020-present, Host, Hearsay The Legal Podcast
2016-2018, Barrister, Edmund Barton Chambers
2013-2016, Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
Memberships and associations
2019, Councillor and non-executive director, Law Society of NSW
2018, President of NSW Young Lawyers (an organisation within the Law Society of NSW which represents all lawyers in NSW under 36 years of age and/or in their first 5 years of practice)
2013 – 2016, 2018 – present, Law Society of NSW
Recognition and awards
2018, Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Finalist – Insolvency
2018, Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 Finalist – Litigation
Pro bono work
2016 – 2018 – Volunteer Barrister, Justice 4 Refugees Judicial Review Panel at the Refugee Advice and Casework Service
2016 – 2017 – 6-month pro bono secondment to the Strategic Litigation team at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre
2013 – 2016 – Volunteer Solicitor, Homeless Persons’ Legal Service