Our corporate team has a broad range of experience in advising private equity and venture capital funds. The team advises on all areas of private equity and venture capital transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, financing, acquisition structuring, shareholding arrangements, foreign investment laws, restructurings, listings and initial public offerings. The team also advises private equity funds in their establishment and investor structures.
We have been involved in some of Australasia's largest and most complex private equity transactions. This means we know how private equity clients like to work and we understand what needs to be done to get a private equity transaction completed. We are highly experienced in multi-jurisdictional private equity transactions and working with our clients’ existing law firms and law firms in other jurisdictions to deliver a seamless service.
Work highlights
EQT Infrastructure IV Fund acquistion
Advised EQT Infrastructure IV Fund on its NZ$1.49 billion acquisition of NZX-listed Metlifecare by way of a scheme of arrangement.
Igneo Infrastructure Partners acquisition
Advised Igneo Infrastructure Partners on the NZ$1.9 billion acquisition of New Zealand’s largest resource recovery and waste management services provider, Waste Management NZ Limited, from private equity firm Beijing Capital Group.
BGH Capital and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board acquisition
Advised BGH Capital and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board on their NZ$137 million acquisition of NZX-listed Abano by way of a scheme of arrangement.
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board acquisition
Advised Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board on the regulatory aspects of, and the shareholder arrangements for, its acquisition (with NZ Super Fund) of Asia Pacific Healthcare Group for approximately NZ$550 million.
First Sentier Investors acquisition
Advised First Sentier Investors on the acquisition of Ultrafast Fibre for NZ$854 million.
FountainVest Partners acquisition
Together with international counsel Kirkland & Ellis, advised FountainVest Partners, a leading private equity firm in China, on the acquisition of Ziwi, a New Zealand pet food exporter and the global leader of air-dried pet nutrition.
AustralianSuper proposed takeover
Advised Australia’s largest superannuation fund, AustralianSuper, on its NZ$5.4 billion potential takeover of NZX-listed infrastructure and utilities investment company Infratil Limited.
Blackstone Group sale and acquisitions
Advised Blackstone on its NZ$345 million sale of Arena Living Group’s six retirement villages to NZX-listed Arvida Group Limited and the acquisition by its private equity funds of the Burger King business and business of Orica New Zealand. We also advised Blackstone on its NZ$200 million investment in Partners Life.
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts bids
Advised Kohlberg Kravis Roberts on its bids for certain Australasian assets.
Archer Capital acquisition
Advised Archer Capital on the acquisition of the New Zealand and Australian business of global credit data company Dun & Bradstreet for A$220 million.
Apax Partners LLP bid
Advised Apax Partners LLP on its NZ$2.56 billion takeover of Trade Me - the largest takeover undertaken to date in NZ via scheme of arrangement.
Gresham Private Equity acquisitions
Advised Gresham House Forest Carbon (NZ) LP on its investments in a New Zealand forest carbon portfolio as part of a carbon credits strategy for UK-based institutional investors. Also advised Gresham Private Equity on its acquisition of Noel Leeming and Bond & Bond.
Mercury Capital Funds 1 to 3
Advised Mercury Capital on the establishment of the Mercury Capital Funds 1 to 3, held through corporate and limited partnership structures, raising over AU$900 million.
Pearlfisher Capital First Mortgage Fund I and II
Advised Pearlfisher Capital Limited on the establishment of the Pearlfisher Capital First Mortgage Funds I and II. The Funds were established to provide first mortgage loans to borrowers who are undertaking property development and property investment transactions within the New Zealand property market.
