Our work

Carter Holt Harvey
2006 – We advised Carter Holt Harvey, a New Zealand-based forest products company and also New Zealand's largest forest owner, on the sale of its forestry business to US-based forestry manager Hancock Natural Resource Group Inc. for in excess of NZ$1.5 billion. The sale comprised essentially all of CHH's forestry interests including approximately 260,000ha of forestry estate.

2005 – We advised on the sales of 94,300ha of Carter Holt Harvey forest estate and related assets in New Zealand to Matariki Forests, an incorporated joint venture between Rayonier Inc and RREEF Infrastructure, the global infrastructure arm of Deutsche Asset Management. The large and complex transaction was valued at NZ$441 million.

Fletcher Challenge Forests
We acted for-Fletcher Challenge Forests on its rights issue of preference shares for a value of NZ$428 million. This was the most significant transaction in the forestry sector for 2001. We also advised Fletcher Challenge Forests on the competition law implications of its proposed acquisition of the assets of the Central North Island Forestry Partnership for which formal clearance was granted by the Commerce Commission.

Rayonier
We advised on Rayonier's acquisition of a substantial forest estate from the New Zealand Government for approximately US$200 million during the privatisation of state-owned forests and on establishing various joint ventures with US institutional investors and others.

Maori entities
We represented Maori in the negotiation of the Forestry Settlement, leading to the Crown Forest Assets Act 1989 and assisting in the establishment of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust.