Responsive, accessible, market leaders
Chapman Tripp’s internationally respected M&A team leads the way in New Zealand. Our large group of specialists is known for its ability to get the most challenging deals across the line.
We are heavily involved in transactions for international and New Zealand clients, including large multi-nationals and leading private equity players. Our substantial experience includes advising on deal structuring and strategies and the implementation of takeovers and other complex transactions.
The team’s expertise in competition law (anti-trust), contested company takeovers and New Zealand's largest M&A deals gives us an unmatched understanding of opportunities, issues and potential pitfalls. Our clients receive informed, frank and strategic advice. We help increase the value of the transaction to them.
We have advised
- the merger parties on the merger of MARAC Finance, Canterbury Building Society and Southern Cross Building Society to form a substantial financial institution
- Bayer AG on the acquisition of New Zealand’s largest privately owned animal health company Bomac Group.
- Shell Overseas Holdings Limited (Shell) on the divestment of Shell’s New Zealand downstream business by way of the sale of the shares in the New Zealand holding company for that business. The purchaser (Aotea Energy Limited) is a 50/50 joint venture between Infratil Limited (a NZX-listed infrastructure company) and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund
- Shell Overseas Holdings Limited on the divestment of its 37% interest in Fulton Hogan Limited (FHL) by way of a share buyback by FHL
- SKYCITY Entertainment Group on the $62 million sale of its New Zealand and Fijian cinema interests to ASX listed Amalgamated Holdings
- Hanover Finance and United finance on the $396.2 million sale of its finance assets to NZX listed Allied Farmers and restructuring of its debenture obligations for listed scrip
- Peter Hutson and associates on the $157.8 million sale of Bay Audiology Limited to National Hearing Care
- QIC Infrastructure on the NZ$400 million acquisition of a 50% interest in Powerco (New Zealand's second largest electricity and gas distribution business).
- Lloyds TSB Bank on the £2.25 billion sale of its wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary, The National Bank of New Zealand, to the New Zealand subsidiary of ANZ Banking Group.
- Jade Software Corporation on its acquisition of Methodware in New Zealand.
- Provenco Group on its NZ$80m merger with Cadmus Technology to create ProvencoCadmus, a significant NZ technology company with a global focus.
- ING Insurance International on the sale of its 51% stake in ING (NZ) Holdings Limited to ANZ National Bank (New Zealand) Limited. The value of this sale combined with the sale of ING Australia, totalled AU$1.76 billion
- Quadrant Private Equity on its two-stage acquisition of Summerset Retirement Villages (SRV). The first stage of the acquisition was completed in November 2009 and the final stage in April 2010. SRV is the third largest retirement village chain in New Zealand and has assets worth more than NZ $420 million
- Direct Capital in its investment, through its Direct Capital IV and Pohutukawa II funds, of $24 million to acquire a 49% interest in Transaction Services Limited, Australasia’s largest third party recurring payment processing company
- Maui Capital Indigo Fund and associated interests on Maui’s investment in 50% of Insulpro, the manufacturer and distributor of “NOVATherm” and “NOVAFloor” branded ceiling, wall and underfloor polyester insulation products
- Rural Equities Limited (REL) on the creation of the only publicly available portfolio of rural properties in the country. This deal created one investment entity owning approx. NZ$200 million of prime New Zealand farm land
- Gurit Holding AG, a listed Swiss entity, on its acquisition of High Modulus
- DTZ International on its divestment of DTZ New Zealand and on international affiliation agreements with the purchaser, Quotable Value
- Life Pharmacy Limited on its merger with Pharmacybrands Limited, New Zealand’s largest retail pharmacy group with the Amcal and Unichem brands. The merger is valued at NZ $56 million and is to be effected by way of a scrip for scrip takeover offer by Life, with Chapman Tripp advising on all aspects of the transaction
- ProvencoCadmus (a NZX-listed company with operations and subsidiaries in New Zealand, Australia and a number of Asian countries) on its receivership including disposal of business units
- Hawkins Construction to establish the TWH Ahuroa Joint Venture with Transfield Worley. The Joint Venture was established to contract for a gas storage project at Ahuroa, with a project value of c.NZ$135 million
- The Hyperfactory on the sale of a 19.9% stake to leading American media company Meredith Corporation
- Agria on its NZ $68.7 million cornerstone investment in PGG Wrightson
- Tegel Foods Limited on the sale of New Zealand’s largest stock feed manufacturer, NRM. Australian business ABB Grain bought NRM for NZ$40 million, a move which will make it the market leader in animal feed sales
- Pacific Equity Partners (in joint venture with CCMP Capital Advisors) on its acquisition of Independent Liquor New Zealand.
- Ironbridge Capital on its sale of Qualcare Group Holdings to Retirement Care (NZ) (a subsidiary of Macquarie Bank).
- PepsiCo Inc. on its NZ$245 million acquisition of Bluebird Foods, one of New Zealand's most highly regarded food brands, from Burns Philip.
- Coles Group on the New Zealand law aspects of its AU$20 billion takeover by Wesfarmers.
- Danone on its NZ$385 million sale of New Zealand’s leading biscuit company, Griffins Foods, to Pacific Equity Partners.
- HJ Heinz Company on its sale of Tegel Foods to Australia's Pacific Equity Partners for NZ$250 million.
- Goldman Sachs JBWere (through its Hauraki Private Equity No.2 Fund) and Australia's Quadrant Private Equity on their acquisition of a controlling stake (25.5% each) in Kathmandu Group, the largest retailer of its kind in Australasia, for NZ$275 million.
- Woolworths on the New Zealand corporate law and overseas investment aspects of its NZ$2.7 billion acquisition of Progressive Enterprises.
- ING New Zealand on its acquisition from ANZ National Bank Limited of the funds management, life insurance and general insurance businesses formerly carried out by The National Bank of New Zealand.
- International Paper Company on the sale of its 50.5% majority shareholding in Carter Holt Harvey to Rank Group (Graeme Hart) for NZ$1.65 billion (part of NZ$3.27 billion takeover).
- Independent Newspapers in the NZ$1.188 billion sale of INL’s New Zealand publishing business to John Fairfax Holdings.
- PGG Wrightson on the combination of its strong wool business with a new growers' co-operative, Wool Grower Holdings Ltd, to form the Wool Partners International.
- Christchurch Hotels on its acquisition of InterContinental Hotel Group's 31.25% shareholding in Premier Hotels (Christchurch) Limited, a cornerstone shareholder in Christchurch Casinos.
- Direct Capital on its NZ$74 million purchase of a 45% stake in NZ King Salmon.
- Agility Logistics on its AU$93 million acquisition of Mainfreight's Australian, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea logistics companies.
- BT Funds Management (NZ) Limited and Westpac Banking Corporation on the New Zealand law aspects of the sale of Westpac's wholesale investment management business to BT Investment Management Limited.
- Fonterra on the sale of Steel Can Components to Impress Group as part of an AU$150m sale by Amcor of its Australasian food can and aerosol business.
- Transpacific Industries (NZ) in its acquisitions of EnviroWaste and Medi-Chem Waste Services.
- Government of Tonga on the sale of a 40% stake of Westpac Bank of Tonga to Westpac.
- Rubicon on the sale of its Horizon 2 tree improvement business to the US-based ArborGen LLC.
- Healthcare Industry on its strategic acquisition of a 19.9% stake in Abano Healthcare from Masthead Portfolios.