Katie Johnston

Background

About Katie Johnston

I have had a long and diverse legal career, experiencing it all from private practice at a top-tier national law firm to the dynamic, fast-paced role of Chief Counsel for a fintech start-up. This versatility means I'm just as comfortable advising senior leaders in large ASX-listed companies as I am helping a founder build their startup from scratch and all that lies in between in the world of corporate/commercial legal advice. I'm a corporate law purist at heart with a laser focus on the detail, with my experience spanning hostile takeovers, capital raisings, continuous disclosures, business succession planning and corporate governance. I consider my sweet spot to be managing people, transactions and drafting bespoke agreements. Regardless of deal size or timeline, what I enjoy most about being a lawyer is helping my clients achieve their goals and seeing (good) deals complete. I pride myself on my ability to intuitively read situations, which has given me ample insights into the intricacies of running businesses and negotiating deals, from understanding foreign regulators while working on cross border transactions from Botswana to Turkey, to guiding Boards through the stressful time of safe harbour, and simply calling out when a deal stinks, top of mind for me always is providing exemplary client service and cut-through pragmatic advice. Wanting to give back to the community, I also enjoy acting in a volunteer capacity as Company Secretary for R U Ok? A charity very close to my heart. Outside of work I love keeping active and spending time with my husband and two daughters, forever chasing the sun on caravanning and boating adventures (mostly to hot, beach locations). My most favourite thing to do is snorkel with green sea turtles up and down the beautiful Queensland coastline.