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Mergers & Acquisitions

Whether you’re looking to grow or expand your business, change your strategy or retire we’ve got the experts to help you.

EXPERTISE & EXPERIENCE

Over the years we’ve worked on deals of all sizes and complexity, and across a range of industries including retail, agribusiness, franchises, manufacturing and logistics. Experience has taught us that mid-sized deals are often the most complex, and these have become our forte.

In recent years our team has grown in strength of skills and expertise, including two top lawyers who have joined us from prominent Auckland firms. We have expertise in acquisitions or dispositions of shares or of a company’s assets, amalgamations, joint ventures, capital restructuring and related bank financing arrangements. This also includes bank finance which is often a key part of these transactions.

Examples of our work:

CLM acted for Classic Group in negotiating and documenting its joint venture with the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, creating the Kaha Ake Limited Partnership, which involves a $300 million commitment by the parties. Kaha Ake develops and markets a range of large scale housing development sites across New Zealand, and CLM continues its involvement as the legal provider for the joint venture. The deal team comprised of Partner, Cameron Russell, Consultant, Carolyn Culliney, Senior Associate, Robbie Bennett and Senior Solicitor, Sophia Antonopoulos.
CLM advised Oriens Capital on all aspects of the acquisition of the Cloudland Limited and Tech Management Group Limited healthcare, information technology (IT) and professional services businesses, the fourth acquisition of Oriens Fund II. Vendors of the two businesses were given the ability to reinvest sale proceeds in the purchasing topco entity with Oriens retaining a majority interest. The deal team comprised of Partner, Campbell Izzard, Special Counsel, Andy Martin, Associate Colleen Bain, Senior Solicitor, Sophia Antonopoulos and Solicitor, Claudia Riddle.
CLM advised exiting shareholders on the disposal of 100% of their interests in Waikato dairy food manufacturer Canary Foods to Westland Milk Products owned by China’s Yili Group in 2022. The deal was led by Partner, Paul Tustin, and Special Counsel, Roann Watson.
CLM advised Quayside Holdings Limited on all aspects of its acquisition of a significant interest in Tauranga Crossing Limited. Tauranga Crossing is a premier retail shopping centre, which includes a large shopping mall with over 100 stores, and development of a number neighbouring sites for large format stores, in Tauranga. The deal team comprised of Partner, Cameron Russell, Consultant, Carolyn Culliney, Senior Associate, Robbie Bennett and Senior Solicitor, Sophia Antonopoulos.
CLM acted for Milford Funds Limited on the acquisition of Honeycrisp New Zealand LLC. This transaction involved the purchase of the business and assets of MA Orchards in South Canterbury, to help supply this variety of apples into the North American Market. The deal was led by Partner, Paul Tustin and Special Counsel, Roann Watson with support from Consultant, Carolyn Culliney, Associate, Colleen Bain, and Senior Solicitor, Sophia Antonopoulos.
CLM advised the founder of TLC Insurance Limited on the sell down of an initial controlling interest to ASX listed AUB/360 Group. TLC is a boutique underwriting agency specialising in mobile plant and heavy machinery solutions in addition to its specialist focus on the forestry sector. TLC was AUB/360 Group’s first acquisition in the New Zealand market. The deal team comprised of Partner, Campbell Izzard and Special Counsel, Roann Watson.
CLM acts for Purpose Capital Impact Fund and has advised on its investment in Cool Group Limited (a company specialising in developing environmentally friendly commercial and industrial chilling systems), Whakatōhea Mussels (Opotiki) Limited (which has developed an offshore mussel aquaculture farm and processing facility) and Maungataroto Solar Farm (a solar farm project in Northland). The deal team is led by Consultant, Carolyn Culliney.
Advising Life Community on the acquisition of 100% of the NZQA category 1 certified tertiary education provider Skills Update Limited from its founding shareholders. Skills Update has 5 campuses throughout the country with nearly 100 staff and has trained over 45,000 students in its 28 years of operation. The deal team comprised of Partners Campbell Izzard and Chad Wallace, Special Counsel, Roann Watson, Associate, Colleen Bain, and Senior Solicitor, Sophia Antonopoulos.
CLM act for Ascentro Capital Partners Limited, a leading New Zealand private equity, debt investment and advisory firm, in connection with the structuring of their investment vehicles. This work is led by Partner, Paul Tustin and Special Counsel, Chris Liddall.
CLM acted for Financial Independence on its merger with a newly formed subsidiary of ICIB Broker web to create ICIB Financial Independence, the Bay of Plenty’s largest insurance brokerage. The deal was led by Partner, Paul Tustin and Special Counsel, Roann Watson.
Advising the founding shareholders of Central North Island based Matt Jensen Insurance Limited on the structured competitive bid process to sell their 100% of their business to NYSE listed Gallagher Insurance. The deal was led by Partner, Campbell Izzard.
CLM acted for SCR Solutions Limited on all aspects of the sale of its AdBlue manufacturing and distribution business to Ixom in 2021. The deal was led by Partner, Paul Tustin and Special Counsel, Chris Liddall.
Special Counsel, Chris Liddall is a recommended adviser for Foodstuffs franchisees and has acted on the sale and purchase of Four Square, New World and Pak’nSave stores throughout the North Island.
CLM acted for Skyfly Limited in 2022 on all aspects of its sale of Rotorua Canopy Tours, an award-winning native canopy zip-line adventure tourism business, to a group of Auckland and Queenstown Lakes investors. The transaction was led by Partner, Paul Tustin and Special Counsel, Chris Liddall.
Sale of a large-scale New Zealand broiler chicken operation to Private Equity Partners and subsequent equity reinvestment. The transaction was led by Partner, Campbell Izzard and Special Counsel, Chris Liddall.
Advised Feisst Group on its 2021 acquisition of NPE-Tech. NPE-Tech is a broad based electrical business whose services include the repair of high voltage power lines. The deal team comprised Partner, Paul Tustin and Special Counsel, Chris Liddall.