Best Lawyers® recognises Coghlan Duffy lawyer in 2026 Australian edition

17 April 2025

Coghlan Duffy is pleased to announce that John Coghlan, Partner, has been recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia™ 2026 in the following categories:

  • Commercial Law

  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law

  • Venture Capital Law

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 13, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au

Factor Bikes sells 52% to strategic investors

21 March 2025

Zhonglu Co., Ltd., a Shanghai Stock Exchange listed company, and Chinese private equity fund, VisionStone Investment, have agreed to acquire a 52% stake in premium racing bicycle company, Factor Bikes, in a deal that values the company around $US70 million.

Coghlan Duffy acted for Factor Bikes in the transaction. The team was led by Partner, Charly Duffy, with support from Senior Associate, Harry Pratt, and Associate, Michael Termine.

Zhonglu owns well-known Chinese bicycle brand, Forever Bicycle, which was founded in 1940. The strategic share purchase and capital investment will see the investors collaborate with Factor Bikes to substantially expand Factor’s business in China and globally.  

The transaction is expected to close once the investors receive the necessary outbound direct investment approvals from Chinese regulators.

About Factor Bikes

Founded in 2007, Factor Bikes is a globally renowned premium racing bicycle brand celebrated for its innovative engineering, exceptional performance, cutting-edge design, and superior riding experience.  Led by Founder, Rob Gitelis, Factor Bikes counts four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, among its investors. Factor Bikes has achieved remarkable success in world class cycling races such as the Tour de France, and was the bike of choice for the Australian national team when they set a new world record and won the gold medal in the Team Pursuit event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Charly Duffy | Partner
E: cduffy@cdandco.com.au

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 13, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au

Loop Software sells to Civica

19 December 2024

Melbourne-based software company, Loop Software, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by global public sector software solutions provider, Civica.

Coghlan Duffy Lawyers acted for Loop Software in the transaction. The team was led by Partner, John Coghlan, with support from Associate, Marcus Triado, and Associate, Michael Termine.

The acquisition of Loop Software and its core product, Daymap, further strengthens Civica’s school management platform and aims to drive broader strategic local growth.

For more information about this transaction, please refer to news published by Civica and articles published by ARN and CRN.

About Loop Software

Loop Software owns and operates its flagship education SaaS product, Daymap. Daymap is one of the most comprehensive and flexible learning and teaching management systems in Australia. Led by its founder, Guy Thomas, Daymap has been used and trusted by schools in Australia for more than 20 years.

John Coghlan | Partner
E: jcoghlan@cdandco.com.au

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 13, 440 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au

East Forged secures $1.5m from strategic investor

25 September 2024

Australian cold brew tea company, East Forged, has successfully completed a $1.5 million capital raise led by Global Mind Agriculture Australia - the venture capital arm of Vietnam’s leading agribusiness, TTC AgriS.

John Coghlan, Partner, and Victoria Nadalin, Associate, of Coghlan Duffy assisted East Forged in this transaction.

This investment is expected to assist East Forged to expand product capabilities, brand reach and enter key overseas markets. For more information, please refer to the article in SmartCompany.

About East Forged

Brisbane-based East Forged was founded in 2020 by Tania Stacey and Kym Cooper. East Forged produces ready-to-drink teas made using an innovative cold-brewing process that incorporates nitrogen infusion. East Forged teas are made with green, black and white tea leaves sourced from ethical growers in Australia and China, with each batch brewed for up to 12 hours at the business’ facility in Sydney.

For more information, please visit East Forged’s website here.

For more information on the transaction, contact

John Coghlan | Partner
E: jcoghlan@cdandco.com.au

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 42, Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins St VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au

Graceview secures $1.5m in seed funding

16 August 2024

AI-driven legal compliance startup, Graceview, has successfully completed a seed investment round, raising $1.5 million to accelerate its growth and development. The round was led by entrepreneur, Patrick Linton, who will also join the Graceview board.

Coghlan Duffy assisted Graceview in this transaction. The team consisted of Partner, John Coghlan, and Associate, Marcus Triado.

This seed investment will allow the company to develop its AI-driven solutions and expand its market reach. For more information, please refer to Graceview’s media release, and the articles in SmartCompany and Startup Daily.

About Graceview

Graceview is an AI-driven legal compliance platform that provides its customers with real-time data insights into regulatory compliance risks and possibilities. By integrating the capabilities of generative AI with the expertise of seasoned legal professionals, the platform aims to ensure regulatory compliance is both streamlined and maintained. Founded in 2023 by Simon Quirk, Jules Ioannidis and Dan Hunter, Graceview has grown to a team of 11 and has a presence in Melbourne, London and Singapore. For more information, please visit Graceview’s website here.

For more information, contact

John Coghlan | Partner
E: jcoghlan@cdandco.com.au

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 42, Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins St VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au

Best Lawyers® recognises Coghlan Duffy lawyer in 2025 Australian edition

18 April 2024

Best Lawyers® has released The Best Lawyers in Australia™ 2025 list.

Coghlan Duffy is pleased to announce that John Coghlan, Partner, has been recognised for Venture Capital Law in this year’s edition.

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 42, Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins St VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au

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Patricks secures investment from Shiseido

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9 April 2024

Australian men’s grooming brand, Patricks has received a substantial investment from Shiseido’s newly formed venture arm. It is the inaugural investment made from the Shiseido Long-Term Investments for the Future (LIFT) Ventures fund, a vehicle investing in innovative, high-growth brands within the beauty and wellness space.

Certain existing and new investors participated in the raise alongside Shiseido LIFT Ventures.

Coghlan Duffy acted for Patricks in the transaction. The team was led by Partner, Zain Kazi, with support from Associate, Alyssandria Lim. Consumer M&A specialist investment bank, Lempriere Wells, arranged the raise for Patricks.

For more information about this transaction, please refer to the article in the Australian Financial Review, and the news release by Shiseido.

About Patricks

Patricks is a luxury men’s grooming brand founded in 2014 by former men's salon owner Patrick Kidd, and his wife, Aimee, a former lawyer. Owning an award-winning barber shop for many years, they were disappointed by the range of products available at the time. This inspired them to create a luxury skin and haircare brand for men that consciously combines performance, design, and sustainability. Patricks is stocked at Harrods, Selfridges, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Saks, and Harrolds.

Zain Kazi | Partner
E: zkazi@cdandco.com.au

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 42, Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins St VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au

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Fotomerchant sells to ImageQuix

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16 February 2023

Sydney-based photography software provider, Fotomerchant, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by US-based photography software company, ImageQuix (a portfolio company of US-based private equity firm, Charlesbank Capital Partners).

Coghlan Duffy Lawyers acted for Fotomerchant in the transaction. The team was led by Partner, John Coghlan, with support from Senior Associate, Harry Pratt, and Associate, Marcus Triado, together with specialist tax advice from Partner, Jeremy Makowski.

This strategic acquisition complements ImageQuix’s existing suite of software solutions for professional photographers.

For more information about this transaction, please refer to Charlesbank’s media release.

About Fotomerchant

Fotomerchant is a leading software platform that provides website publishing, e-commerce, financial management, and business intelligence tools for professional photographers. Led by its co-founders, Elmar Platzer and Derek Clapham, Fotomerchant has sold its innovative solutions to leading photography studios around the world for more than 14 years.

John Coghlan | Partner
E: jcoghlan@cdandco.com.au

Coghlan Duffy is a specialist corporate and commercial law firm based in Melbourne. The firm is proud to work with an enviable list of clients, including prominent Australian start-ups and ASX-listed companies.

A: Level 42, Rialto South Tower, 525 Collins St VIC 3000
T: +61 3 9614 2444
W: cdandco.com.au