The Legal 500

Bell Gully’s ‘deep’ team provides ‘fast, commercial advice’ which is ‘focused on the end outcome’. Brynn Gilbertson, noted for his ‘very strong technical skills’, advised building materials manufacturing and distribution company Fletcher Building Limited on its successful NZ$1bn takeover offer for Australian building products company Crane Group Limited. The firm also advised Suncorp-Metway Limited on the New Zealand aspects of its $128.5m sale of Tyndall Investments to Nikko Asset Management and its NZ$42m sale of New Zealand Guardian Trust to The Trust Company.

The ‘easy-to-work-with’ team at Chapman Tripp is one of the largest in New Zealand, spanning the three main centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and advises on all facets of M&A work. It advised the merger parties on the unprecedented merger of MARAC Finance Limited, Canterbury Building Society and Southern Cross Building Society to form a NZ$2.2bn listed financial services group intended to become New Zealand’s only listed registered bank. It also acted for AMP NZ Office Trust on its corporatisation, and advised EnergyHedge on arrangements with ASX to create a New Zealand electricity derivatives hedge market. ‘Dealmaker’ John Strowger is recommended.

Russell McVeagh’s team is ‘excellent all round’. It acted for Meridian, New Zealand’s largest electricity generator, on the restructuring of the government’s commercial interests in the electricity industry. Pip Greenwood advised Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Limited on its successful proposal to Crown Fibre Holdings to deliver the government’s national fibre-to-home proposal. She also assisted on numerous capital raisings, and was involved in major deals for NAB and Lion Nathan.

Simpson Grierson gives ‘practical advice that best fits the situation’, and ‘clear recommendations and options’. It acted as lead legal provider to the Auckland Transition Agency and continues to act for the new entity, Auckland Council. The ‘very experienced’ Peter Hinton acted for Sleepyhead on its NZ$55m purchase of Pacific Brands’ Dunlop Foams and Sleepmaker businesses in Australia, and the sale by Sleepyhead of its Wonderlay carpet underlay assets to Pacific Brands.

Buddle Findlay’s ‘strong commercial advisory practice’ delivers ‘a big-firm experience at a reasonable cost’. Clients include listed issuers, private equity funds, corporates, banks, financial institutions and government agencies. The firm advised Olam International on its successful takeover of NZ Farming Systems Uruguay. Clients include GE Capital, British-based Intermediate Capital Group, NZ Generator Hire Limited, and Japanese food group Imanaka.

Minter Ellison Rudd Watts picked up significant new panel appointments with AMP and Vector as well as new international client gains. Cathy Quinn acted for the Agria Corporation and New Hope Group Co on a NZ$141m partial takeover offer in respect of a further stake in PGG Wrightson Limited. Mark Stuart advised Affinity Equity Partners on its $600m acquisition of Tegel Foods.

‘Strong’ M&A firm Harmos Horton Lusk acts for clients including Maui Capital, Pharmacybrands, Southern Cross Building Society, Vector Limited and Genesis Energy. Greg Horton and Paul Oldfield are recommended, and Nathanael Starrenburg was recently made up to partner.

Kensington Swan has a team of ‘very motivated lawyers’. Martin Dalgleish is ‘a pure M&A man’, and David Shillson a ‘corporate restructuring guru’. The firm recently acted for the Wallace family trusts during a competitive sale process and subsequent sale of shares in Electropar Limited to US-based Preformed Line Products Company; and assisted Oyster Bay Marlborough Vineyards Limited through its takeover by Delegat’s Wine Estate Limited.

At Mayne Wetherell, Simon Horner advised Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Limited on the sale of its KiwiSaver business and transfer of members to Fisher Funds Management Limited. The firm also acted for the senior syndicate and agent in relation to the debt-for-equity restructuring of Yellow Pages Group.