David Williamson attended The Geelong College from 1969 to 1975. He later lived at Ormond College during his first four years at the University of Melbourne. His professional career has been based principally in Australia, with additional cross-border experience that included periods working in London.
Williamson attended The Geelong College from 1969 to 1975. He studied law at the University of Melbourne and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1982. During his first four years at the university he was a resident of Ormond College.
Williamson began his legal career after graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1982 and spent most of the next three decades with the Australian firm Blake Dawson Waldron, later Ashurst. He worked in the firm’s Melbourne, Sydney and London offices, became a corporate partner, led the corporate practice for periods, served as head of mergers and acquisitions, and was a board member and client relationship partner for BHP Billiton. His practice focused on corporate law and mergers and acquisitions, including major transactions involving BHP Billiton, ANZ Bank, AWB and other prominent Australian companies. In 2010 he left private practice to become Head of Group Legal at BHP Billiton and subsequently also served as Chief Compliance Officer. He returned to Ashurst in 2013, resuming his corporate and mergers-and-acquisitions practice. In 2016 he joined Flagstaff Partners, where he became Deputy Chairman and later served as a Senior Adviser. He was a member of Australia’s Takeovers Panel from 2017 to 2023.
Built a 35-year legal career as a corporate partner specializing in mergers and acquisitions, including work on major Australian and cross-border transactions.
Led legal teams advising BHP Billiton on significant corporate transactions, including its successful acquisition of WMC Resources and its proposed combination with Rio Tinto.
Served as Head of Group Legal and Chief Compliance Officer at BHP Billiton from 2010 to 2013.
Joined Flagstaff Partners in 2016 and became Deputy Chairman of the Australian corporate-finance advisory firm.
Williamson served as a member of Australia’s Takeovers Panel from 2017 to 2023. He has also participated in community and philanthropic organizations, including as former Chair of SecondBite, former Chair of the Corporate and Philanthropic Committee of the Salvation Army in Victoria, Trustee of the William Buckland Foundation, and Trustee of the Scobie and Clare MacKinnon Trust.
Member of Australia’s Takeovers Panel.
Takeovers Panel , Australia
2017 - 2023
Former Chair.
SecondBite , Australia
Former Chair of the Corporate and Philanthropic Committee.
The Salvation Army in Victoria , Australia
Trustee.
William Buckland Foundation , Australia
Trustee.
Scobie and Clare MacKinnon Trust , Australia
Williamson’s professional career has connected private-practice corporate law with senior in-house legal and compliance leadership at BHP Billiton and later corporate-finance advisory work at Flagstaff Partners. His documented community roles have included leadership and trustee positions in Australian charitable and philanthropic organizations.
