Ben's restructuring and insolvency work highlights include acting for:

• Accolade Wines on its debt restructuring and recapitalisation.
• The receivers of Sacred Hill wines on the sale of the Sacred Hill assets.
• Tahua Capital on the acquisition of Burger King New Zealand.
• Oaktree Capital on the restructuring of, and investment in, the Mediaworks Group.

Private equity work highlights (continued) include acting for:

• Pacific Equity Partners on:

  • the 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;

  • the acquisition of Manuka Health New Zealand;

  • its acquisition of Horizon Global’s Asia Pacific unit, and subsequent sale of Auto Pacific to GUD Holdings;

  • its acquisition, through Altus Group (a PEP portfolio entity), of Traffic Management NZ; 

  • its acquisition, through UP Education (a PEP portfolio entity), of NZ Tertiary College;

  • its acquisition of Horizon Global’s Asia Pacific unit, and subsequent sale of Auto Pacific to GUD Holdings;

  • the New Zealand aspects of its A$1.14 billion sale of LifeHealthCare to EBOS;

  • its acquisition, through Manuka Health New Zealand (a (then) PEP portfolio entity),  of Neuseelandhaus GmbH (a German distributor);

  • its $700m sale of Griffin’s Foods to Universal Robina Corporation; and

  • its AU$670 million acquisition of 50% of SCA Hygiene Australasia.

• Pioneer Capital:

  • on its acquisition of Coffee Supreme;

  • on its investment in Optimal Workshop; and

  • together with Ngāi Tahu Capital and Tainui Group Holdings, on the sale of Waikato Milking Systems to Interpump Group S.p.A.

• Milford Private Equity on: 

  • its investment in Blackbull Global; and

  • its investment in AECC Global.

• Advent International on its acquisition, through its portfolio company Industria Chimica Emiliana, of New Zealand Pharmaceuticals.

• Five V Capital on the sale of Education Perfect to KKR.

• The Carlyle Group on the New Zealand aspects of its $1 billion acquisition of Accolade Wines.

• The Riverside Company on:

  • its acquisition of Hiway Group.

  • its sale of Simcro (a market leader in livestock pharmaceutical delivery devices) to Datamars.

• 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.

• Crescent Capital:

  • and New Zealand Panels Group on the acquisition of the Bestwood and Kopine businesses from Carter Holt Harvey;

  • on the sale of Simply Squeezed juices to Frucor;

  • the sale of Brandlines to DKSH; and

  • on 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).

M&A and transactional work highlights (continued) include acting for:

• Fonterra Co-operative Group on: 

  • its $342m joint venture with Abbott Laboratories, to develop a hub of five large scale dairy farms in China; and

  • its establishment of ‘Trading Among Farmers’ including establishing a new private share market operated by NZX Limited, and an initial public offering by the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund and its listing on both the NZSX and ASX. 

• Lion on:

  • the acquisition of Havana Coffee

  • the acquisition of Harrington's Breweries;

  • the sale of the Yoplait yoghurt business to Goodman Fielder;

  • the acquisition of Panhead Breweries; 

  • the acquisition of Lindauer and other wine brands from Pernod Ricard; and

  • the buyback of its Newmarket brewery site.

• The shareholders of Waipapa Pine Limited on the sale of Waipapa Pine and Renewable Wood Fuels to Fletcher Building.

• The Genesis Energy / FRV joint venture on the development and project financing of the 63 MW Lauriston solar farm.

• The Genesis Energy / FRV joint venture on the acquisition of a fully consented, 52 MW, solar project in Mid-Canterbury, New Zealand.

• Holcim on: 

  • its demerger of its joint venture, AML, and the acquisition of 20 concrete plants from AML as part of the demerger; and 

  • its acquisition of Mercer Sands, a sand mining operation on the banks of the Waikato River. 

• Genesis Energy on its establishment of a joint venture with the solar farm developer FRV Australia, to develop up to 500 MW of large-scale solar energy projects.

• The founders of Mondiale on the divestment of a 50% stake to Direct Capital.

• Sinch on the New Zealand aspects of its US$1.3 billion acquisition of MessageMedia.

• A bidder for Kiwi Wealth.

• An underbidder for Ziwi Pet Food.

• Cedar Pacific on its acquisition of a student accommodation concession at the University of Canterbury.

• The shareholders of 180 Degrees crackers on the sale of a 100% stake to Arnotts (owned by funds advised by KKR).

• United Rentals on the New Zealand aspects of its $996 million acquisition of General Finance Corporation (which owns and operates the Royal Wolf business in New Zealand).

• A bidder for Tip Top.

• Oceania Healthcare on its initial public offering and dual listing on the NZX and ASX.

• Daiken on its acquisition of a large MDF (medium density fibreboard) production plant in Mataura from Dongwha International and Laminex.

• Swissport on the New Zealand aspects of its acquisition of Aerocare (an Australian and New Zealand ground handling business).

• Accor Hotels on the New Zealand aspects of its proposed acquisition of the Mantra Group (by way of scheme of arrangement).

• A bidder for the Vector Gas transmission and non-Auckland distribution assets.

• The shareholders of Hally Labels in their divestment of the Hally Labels group to Hexagon Mercury Capital.

• Newmont Mining Corporation on its US$101m divestment of the Waihi Gold Mine to OceanaGold.

• Griffin’s Foods Limited on the acquisition of 50.1% of the shares in Proper Snack Foods Limited.

• Genesis Energy on its $735m IPO.

• A bidder for the New Zealand and Australian consumer finance businesses of GE Capital.

• The shareholders of Torpedo7 on their sale to The Warehouse.

• Tyco International on its divestment (to Evergreen Group) of its cash handling and security operations in New Zealand and Fiji.

• CKI on its $490m acquisition of Envirowaste from Ironbridge.

• The Secure Future Consortium on the Wiri Prison PPP.

• An underbidder on the Transmission Gully PPP.

Other restructuring and insolvency work highlights include acting for:

• The administrators of the NZ Ovato group.

• The receivers on the sale of various assets of the Pumpkin Patch retail group.

• The administrators on various aspects of the voluntary administration of CBL Insurance.

• The receivers on the sale of PK Furniture.

• The receivers on the sale of various assets of the Hurlstone Earthmoving group.

• The administrators of RedGroup on the sale of Whitcoulls and Bennetts.