Strategic and pragmatic commercial advice

We add value in commercial transactions by providing strategic and pragmatic legal advice.

Our lawyers have practised on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters in New Zealand and in overseas jurisdictions.  We have the expertise and breadth of experience required to deal with specialist businesses and issues, and to provide user friendly and sensible advice.  Our group is focused on client expectations and enabling clients to meet their commercial objectives.

Clients and services

Buddle Findlay advises on the full range of corporate transactions and commercial issues, and assists clients from all major sectors of the economy, including national and multi-national corporations, private equity funds, listed issuers, major banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, state-owned enterprises, government departments, and local and statutory authorities.

Our team has a reputation for being pragmatic and focused on our clients’ commercial objectives and how these can be most effectively achieved.

We advise clients on a full range of corporate transactions and commercial issues, including assisting clients with:

Deal highlights

  • Acting for a consortium of Goldman Sachs and Brookfield Asset Management on their successful acquisition of a NZ$1.3b commercial loan portfolio from Lloyds / Bank of Scotland International
  • Acting for Intermediate Capital Group on the provision of mezzanine debt and equity finance to the Affinity Equity Partners-led consortium acquisition of Tegel Foods from Pacific Equity Partners
  • Advising a consortium of Infratil and Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund on the acquisition of Shell New Zealand
  • Advising GE Capital on the acquisition of NZ$100m of commercial loan assets from Face Finance, a subsidiary of South Canterbury Finance (in receivership)
  • Advising Imanaka on its acquisition of Cedenco Foods (in receivership and liquidation)
  • Advising Infratil on its sale of Fullers
  • Advising Suntory on its NZ$1.4b acquisition of Frucor Beverages Group
  • Advising Daiken and ITOCHU on their joint venture acquisition of CHH’s Rangiora MDF Plant
  • Advising HRL Morrison & Co on its acquisition of a 26% stake in Fisher Funds Management
  • Acting for Vector on the sale of its Wellington electricity distribution network to Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings for NZ$785m
  • Advising Olam International on its taking a NZ$100m cornerstone stake in Dairy Trust
  • Acting for NZ Generators on the sale of its generator hire business to Aggreko Plc
  • Acting for DKSH on its acquisition of Brandlines Limited and FNZ Brands from companies controlled by Crescent Capital
  • Acting for Pacific Inks on the sale of its ink printing business in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and Asia to DIC Corporation
  • Advising Unitas Capital and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan on their NZ$2.24b purchase of the Yellow Pages Group and the associated IP assets in a competitive tender process comprising New Zealand’s largest ever private equity deal
  • Acting for Unitas Capital on its consortium formation for, and acquisition of, Independent Liquor
  • Acting for Kiwibank on its NZ$720m acquisition of HSBC’s AMP originated mortgage portfolio
  • Advising Pacific Equity Partners and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity on the acquisition of Veda Advantage by way of a scheme of arrangement
  • Advising Altor Equity Partners and portfolio company Navico International on the acquisition of a marine electronics business from Brunswick Corporation, which included the well known high tech “Navman” brand
  • Advising Alliant Energy International on its sale of all the shares in Alliant Energy New Zealand to Infratil (this required structuring to accommodate existing joint venture agreements, New Zealand Takeovers Code issues, existing funding arrangements and tax issues in New Zealand and the United States
  • Advising GE Money on the acquisition of the mortgage loan portfolio of St George Bank New Zealand
  • Advising Sky Television on its merger with Independent Newspapers valued at NZ$2.8b
  • Advising the Board and shareholders on the sale of Trade Me to Fairfax New Zealand Holdings

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