International connections

Overview

We have a strong position in the New Zealand market

Our team is one of the leading New Zealand commercial and public law firms with offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and a global reach of contacts and experience.

We work with international private investors and high-profile institutional investors who are interested in pursuing investment opportunities in New Zealand.

Our team also works with New Zealand businesses looking to expand their investments and operations overseas.

We work with all types of clients, including investors

Our clients include:

National and multi-national corporations
Private equity and venture capital funds
Banks and financial institutions
State-owned enterprises
Government departments
Local and other statutory authorities.

We have extensive experience helping investors finance, negotiate, structure and secure regulatory approvals for transactions. We also give advice to inbound investors on all regulatory requirements including consent requirements for the Overseas Investment Office (OIO).

We are well-connected overseas

We maintain close relationships with law firms worldwide, including in Asia, Australia, Canada, Singapore, the USA and the UK.

Most of our partners and senior associates have worked overseas and many of them have been admitted to practice in those jurisdictions.

We have a dedicated Asia business team that have the ability to work in Mandarin and Cantonese.

Market recognition

"The team are sophisticated and have great commercial sense. They work diligently, are very responsive and collaborate with each other to achieve customer’s expectations." - Legal 500 Asia-Pacific

"Trustworthy, very reliable, pragmatic, clear communicators, genuinely care and take pride in the work that they do." - - IFLR1000

Buddle Findlay is hailed as a "tier-one law firm" by a client who remarks: "The team has an exceptional track record and has always exceeded expectations, providing detailed and relevant advice to ensure our interests are protected." - Chambers Asia-Pacific

Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA)

International Trademark Association (INTA)

Experience

Sector/Expertise

Work highlights

Chevron

We advised Chevron on the sale of Chevron New Zealand to Z Energy, and on the sale of Chevron's shareholding in The New Zealand Refining Company.

Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ)

We advised Innovation Network Corporation of Japan on its consortium with Oji Holdings to acquire the Carter Holt Harvey pulp, paper and packaging business for NZ$1b.

GE

We advised GE on the sale of GE Capital's New Zealand business.

BCS

We advised BCS on the sale of BCS Group to Daifuku Japan.

Singapore Post

We advised Singapore Post on its acquisition of Famous Pacific Shipping.

Olam International

We advised Olam International on the full takeover of NZ Farming Systems Uruguay.

Public Sector Pension Investment Board of Canada (PSP Investments)

We advised PSP Investments on its investment in Kaingaroa Timberlands Partnership alongside Guardians of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund.

Goldman Sachs and Brookfield Asset Management

We acted for a consortium of Goldman Sachs and Brookfield Asset Management on their acquisition of a NZ$1.3b commercial loan portfolio from Lloyds / Bank of Scotland International.

Nestlé

We acted for Nestlé on the New Zealand aspects of its US$11b acquisition of Pfizer's global infant nutrition business.

Intermediate Capital Group

We acted 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.

New Zealand Post

We advised New Zealand Post on the sale of its logistics software subsidiary ECN to Australian based B2BE.

Suntory

We advised Suntory on its NZ$1.4b acquisition of Frucor Beverages.

Daiken and ITOCHU

We advised Daiken and ITOCHU on their joint venture acquisition of Carter Holt Harvey’s MDF plant at Rangiora.

Olam International

We advised Olam International on its NZ$100m cornerstone stake in Dairy Trust.

Unitas Capital and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan

We advised Unitas Capital and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan on their NZ$2.24b purchase of Yellow Pages Group.

Pacific Equity Partners and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity

We advised Pacific Equity Partners and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity on the public to private acquisition of Veda Advantage for A$980m by way of scheme of arrangement.

JOLCO structures

We advised the lenders (including Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ANZ Bank, Industrial Bank of Japan, Commerzbank AG and Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi) on the JOLCO structures for Air New Zealand's A320 and ATR aircraft.

Virgin Australia

We advised Virgin Australia on the New Zealand law aspects of its US$800m US private debt placement and subsequent US$300m US private debt placement.

Unitas Capital

We advised Unitas Capital on its joint acquisition of Independent Liquor with Pacific Equity Partners

International Finance Corporation (The World Bank Group)

We advised International Finance Corporation (The World Bank Group) on the proposed sale of a foreign airline.

Chinese bank lenders

We act for all New Zealand registered Chinese bank lenders in transactions involving property finance, acquisition finance, and foreign corporate and individual guarantees.

Kookmin Bank

We acted for Kookmin Bank on its establishment of a note issuance programme in New Zealand and we provided advice on CCCFA compliance and supporting ongoing banking operations.

Sales of New Zealand dairy farm and milk processing assets

We have acted on sales of New Zealand dairy farm and milk processing assets to Chinese investment and milk processing companies.

STX Pan Ocean

We acted for the administrators of a Korean shipping company, STX Pan Ocean, in respect of cross-border insolvency issues and a ship arrested in New Zealand.

Our team