MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Corporate and Commercial

Partner and Head of Corporate (Auckland)

A leading corporate lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience in the UK and New Zealand, Neil is the author of the firm’s annual M&A Forecast. He specialises in private equity and private company mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Neil’s clients include private business owner-operators, a range of private equity and venture capital funds, large corporates, SME, and start-up companies. He has significant experience acting for clients on transactions in the health, education, food and beverage, and privately held business sectors.

Relationship driven, collaborative and commercial, Neil is renowned for getting the most complex deals done. He advises on all aspects of M&A and private equity, business sales, and commercial and business transactions and contracts, as well as joint ventures and shareholding arrangements. He also manages complex and often large-scale consolidations and roll up strategies.

In addition to his M&A and private equity practice, Neil advises clients on governance, director responsibilities, and strategic matters. A trusted and pragmatic adviser, he is regularly invited to contribute to strategic planning workshops and board-level discussions.

Neil is also one of New Zealand’s leading warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurance experts, providing in-market assistance to most of the key insurers and assisting buyers and sellers with advice in connection with policies and claims.

Neil is known for his pragmatic, commercially focused approach and outstanding client service. Described by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2024 as a dealmaker who “adds immense value by understanding commercial drivers,” Neil stands out for blending legal precision with business insight. His work in M&A has been praised for its strategic clarity and responsiveness.

Neil has worked both in London at McGrigors and in Philadelphia at Pepper Hamilton LLP. Clients value his international experience, noting that he brings a global perspective to transactions.