About John
John Ridgway leads the legal team at Pacific Legal Network, where his proficiency in cross-border and international business transactions is well recognised. His strategic acumen has been instrumental in fostering and expanding pivotal relationships across the Pacific, USA, Europe, and Asia. Clients seeking deep insights into international business operations frequently turn to John, whose expertise spans banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investment, governmental dealings, insurance, and commercial litigation. His clientele includes high net worth individuals and multinational corporations, whom he advises on both inbound and outbound investments in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
John founded the Pacific Legal Network in November 2000, drawing on his extensive experience living and working in the Pacific during the 1990s. This venture has grown into a significant legal presence across Australia and Asia, with John frequently leading cross-border transactions and speaking at international conferences. Based in Sydney, the network operates through various offices and affiliates scattered across the Pacific, leveraging partnerships in the USA, Europe, and Asia to deliver unparalleled cross-border legal advice.
In the Pacific, John has been a pioneer in advancing legal services, with Pacific Legal Network having established a presence in almost every jurisdiction from Hawaii to Singapore. The firm is a forerunner in promoting good governance and transparency, evidenced by initiatives such as publishing a unique directors duties guide for the Pacific and delivering corporate governance seminars. Admitted in jurisdictions like Fiji and Solomon Islands, John speaks English, along with a working knowledge of Melanesian Pidgin and French.
His diverse, international experience has allowed him to engage in numerous high-profile transactions, including the acquisition of a full-service retail bank across six jurisdictions, the de-merger of subsidiaries for a UK Plc, the takeover of a brewery, the merger of airlines, and the acquisition of petroleum businesses across four regions. John has also financed key infrastructure projects in the Pacific, such as submarine fibre optic cables.
In addition to his leadership at Pacific Legal Network, John has held senior roles, including as national managing partner of an ASX-listed law firm and as Global Chairman of the IAG Global. His educational background includes applied finance and investment from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and LLB and LLM degrees from the University of Sydney, with a focus on anti-trust law.
