Private Equity

Overview

Dynamic advice for agile investors

Our experts are market leaders in private equity transactions, and have represented some of the largest and most high profile domestic and offshore private equity funds, including Pacific Equity Partners, CPE Capital, Advent International, The Riverside Company, The Carlyle Group, CDH, KKR, Pencarrow, Milford Private Equity, ForthCo, Crescent, and Advent International.

Our team has significant experience in advising on all aspects of private equity led transactions, including acquisitions, divestments, bolt-ons, financing, and tax issues associated with structuring and fund formation. We have a deep understanding of the key drivers and issues faced by private equity sponsors, and collaborate with experts across our practice to manage any issues that arise from complex, high value private equity transactions.

Experience

Our Private Equity experience includes advising:

Pacific Equity Partners on the:

sale of Evolution Healthcare to QIC.
establishment of Agright New Zealand, an industry-leading poultry grower in Australia and New Zealand, through the acquisition of two large scale broiler chicken farming businesses in New Zealand.
sale of UP Education.
sale of Patties Foods to PAG.
acquisition of Healthe Care.
A$1.14 billion sale of LifeHealthCare to EBOS.
acquisition of Horizon Global's Asia Pacific unit, and subsequent sale of Auto Pacific to GUD Holdings.
acquisition of Traffic Management NZ, through its portfolio entity Altus Group.
acquisition of Evolution Healthcare.
sale of Manuka Health New Zealand.
acquisition, through its portfolio entity IntelliHUB, of Metrix from Mercury Energy.
sell down of IntelliHUB to Brookfield.
acquisition of Modern Star.
acquisition of NZ Tertiary College, through its portfolio entity UP Education.
acquisition of Manuka Health New Zealand.
acquisition of Academic Colleges Group.
sale of Griffin's Foods to Universal Robina Corporation.
sale of Tegel to Affinity Equity Partners.
purchase of a 50% interest in SCA Hygiene.

The Riverside Company on its:

acquisition of the Hiway Group.
sale of Simcro.

Advent International on its:

acquisition, through its portfolio company Industria Chimica Emiliana, of New Zealand Pharmaceuticals.
$1.05bn acquisition, through its portfolio company Allnex, of Nuplex Industries Limited.

Pencarrow Private Equity on its:

investment in Skin Institute.
investment in NZ Frost Fan.
investment in The Collective.
investment in Netlogix.

Pioneer Capital on its:

acquisition of Coffee Supreme.
investment in Optimal Workshop.
sale, alongside Ngāi Tahu Capital and Tainui Group Holdings, of Waikato Milking Systems to Interpump Group S.p.A.

ForthCo on its acquisition and syndication of each of:

Natural Habitats.
the Skyline Aviation Group.
NZ Mint.
Phoenix Metal Recyclers.

Crescent Capital on:

the acquisition, through its portfolio entity New Zealand Panels Group, of the Bestwood and Kopine businesses from Carter Holt Harvey.
its sale of 'Simply Squeezed' to Frucor Beverages.
its sale of Brandlines to DKSH.
the New Zealand aspects of the dual track IPO/trade sale process for disposal of the National Hearing Care and Bay Audiology group (ultimately divested to Amplifon in 2010 for AU$460m).

Other:

CPE Capital in respect of numerous acquisitions and divestments, including on its acquisition, and subsequent sale, of a key New Zealand transport and infrastructure asset.
The Carlyle Group on the New Zealand aspects of its acquisition of Accolade Wines.
KKR on its acquisition of MYOB.
Milford Private Equity on its investment in Blackbull Global.
Silverlake on its $200 million minority investment in NZ Rugby, valuing NZ Rugby at NZ$3.5 billion.

Five V Capital on the sale of Education Perfect to KKR.
Intermediate Capital Group / SCF Containers on the acquisition of CSL Containers.
Tenzing on its acquisition of Totara Learning Solutions from Five V Capital.
Primavera Capital and Shanghai Pharma on their consortium acquisition (via a scheme of arrangement) of Vitaco Holdings.
CDH Fund V on its acquisition of an 80% interest in The Better Health Company (otherwise known as ‘Go Healthy’), a substantial New Zealand manufacturer and distributor of natural extracts and dietary supplements.
CITIC on its investment in LanzaTech.
Oaktree Capital on the restructuring of, and investment in, the Mediaworks Group.
Lazard on its sale of PPI New Zealand.

Awards and rankings

A number of our private equity team members are ranked or recognised as private equity experts by several external law firm rankings. We have also authored the Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guide - Private Equity, and are members of the New Zealand Private Capital and the Australian Investment Council (the two leading Australasian private equity associations).

Related Expertise

Banking & Finance

Capital Markets

Corporate Advisory

Funds Management, KiwiSaver & Superannuation

Mergers & Acquisitions

Regulatory

Tax