Primary sector

• Dairy Holdings on numerous resource consent and property matters.
• Lynton Dairies on groundwater consents and renewals in the Selwyn Waihora area.
• Working with Fonterra on technical advice and consenting in relation to nutrient and water use on wastewater irrigation farms.
• Consenting feedlots and composting barns for various clients in the Canterbury and Southland regions.
• Wongan Hills and Willesden Farms on controversial indigenous vegetation clearance and farming development on Kaitorete Spit.
• Dairy Holdings Limited on the conversion of southland farmland to dairy.
• ANZCO Five Star Beef in relation to a Mycoplasma bovis claim.
• Kiwi Free Range on the sale of a Tegel supplier chicken broiler farm at Chertsey, Canterbury.

Who can help

• Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan on the acquisition of the 24,000-hectare Waonui Estate at Tāneatua, Matahina, and Wainui in the central North Island in 2023, including obtaining OIA consent and advising on environmental liabilities and ETS compliance, together with ongoing advice in relation to its existing North Island forestry estate.
• Ngāti Porou Whānui Forests on a carbon-leasing transaction that involved 34 land blocks, most of which were Māori Freehold Land and subject to the provisions of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993, requiring an appearance in the Māori Land Court.
• Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund on the sale of NZSF Timber Investments (No 3) Limited’s forestry assets, consisting of over 14,000ha of North Island forestry estate, to China National Forest Products Trading Corporation, with the remaining going to local investors.
• Various iwi groups (including Ngāti Porou, Kaipara and Tātau Tātau o te Wairoa) on the terms of the Crown Forest Licenses acquired as commercial redress Treaty settlements.
• New Zealand Carbon Farming on ETS and environmental law reform impacting its extensive carbon forestry assets.
• New Zealand Carbon Farming on various proposed forestry acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and related transactions.
• Sumitomo Corporation on  its acquisition of Nelson Pine Industry’s assets, including its manufacturing facility for $370m.
• Tasman Pine Forests in relation to a variety of forestry matters, including a recent material land swap transaction with Ngati Koata which also included new forestry rights and replacement of existing CFLs.
• The shareholders of PF Olsen Group on the acquisition of a 44% interest by Quayside Holdings and roll-up by existing shareholders and management of the remaining 56% interest.
• Day-to-day employment and health and safety advice to Pan Pac Forest Products.
• Forest Partners LP on environmental due diligence related to the acquisition of multiple forest blocks throughout New Zealand.
• Tupu Tonu Ngāpuhi Investment Fund on environmental and ETS due diligence associated with its Northland forestry investments.

Who can help

Tessa Baker Partner	Te Aopare Dewes Partner
Rachel Dunne Partner	Vonda Engles Partner
Alana Lampitt Partner	Graeme Olding Partner
Tim Tubman Partner	Greer Fredricson Special Counsel & Community Director

• Rakaia Irrigation Limited on stored water arrangements and reconsenting.
• Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Limited and MHV Water Limited on nutrient consent applications and subsequent judicial reviews in relation to s107.
• Waimakariri Irrigation on resource consent issues relating to storage proposals and nutrient management issues in relation to scheme users.
• The Rakaia River Irrigators Association on terms around the release of stored water from Lake Coleridge.
• Crown Irrigation on all aspects of its investment programme including investments in the Central Plains Irrigation Scheme and the Waimea Community Dam.
• The secured creditor (Crown Irrigation Investments Limited) and the receivers (Calibre Partners) of Kurow-Duntroon Irrigation Company Limited (In Receivership and Administrators Appointed) (KDIC) in relation to all aspects of the receivership.
• Various farmers and irrigation scheme organisations in the Canterbury region on nutrient management for the Waimakariri, Selwyn Te Waihora, Hinds, and South Canterbury chapters of the Canterbury Land & Water Regional Plan.

Who can help

• Treasury Wine Estates on various vineyard transactions including the acquisition of Weta Vineyard in Marlborough, the negotiation of new vineyard leases, grape supply agreements.
• Bain led consortium’s acquisition of Accolade Wines.
• SoGrape Vinhos on its acquisition of Framingham Wine from Pernod Ricard.
• Ara vineyard on its grape supply agreements.
• Treasury Wine Estates on the acquisition of Northbank Vineyard and structured lease arrangement with QWIL Investments.
• Advised on funding and associated arrangements for Landco – Ara vineyards, Landco farming operations.
• Constellation Wines on grape supply arrangements.

Who can help

• Fonterra on the divestment of its Tip Top business to Froneri for $380m, including the negotiation of a long term licence and co-existence agreement for shared use of the Kapiti brand.
• Fonterra on the Danone litigation case.
• Tegal Foods on all legal aspects in relation to Philippine’s Bounty Fresh Food Inc’s takeover of the New Zealand-based poultry company.
• ANZ on New Zealand's first sustainability-linked loan (to Synlait Milk).
• ANZCO Foods on its acquisition of biotechnology business Moregate Biotech (in both Australia and New Zealand).
• Southern Pastures' 25% acquisition of Lewis Road Creamery.

Who can help

• Market Gardeners on its acquisition of Southern Paprika Limited, the largest single-site capsicum hothouse operation in New Zealand (MG’s largest acquisition in its 100-year history). 
• Market Gardeners on its investments in a range of businesses in New Zealand and Australia
• PGG Wrightson on the $421m sale of its seed business to Danish company DLF Seeds.
• Vulpes Agricultural Land Investment Company on its acquisition of King Avocado. 
• Full lifecycle of contracts for the propagation, growing, marketing and export of IP and other varieties of fruit in New Zealand.
• Freshmax Group’s sale of its New Zealand pipfruit business, including Freshmax Exports, Crasborn Fresh Harvest, Freshmax Orchards and Freshmax Farms.
• Advised horticulture employers on employment, labour relations, health and safety and immigration issues arising out of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
• Ngapuhi on the Kaikohe Berry Farm operation with Far North Holdings.
• Tatau Tatau o te Wairoa on its horticulture operation in Wairoa and arrangements with T&G.

Who can help

• Sanford Limited, on general commercial advice and resource management advice including an aqua-culture consenting applications to enable a significant increase in production as Sanford’s salmon farms on Big Glory Bay, Stewart Island, New Zealand.
• Sanford on the sale of its spiny rock lobster quota in two fisheries management areas to the Fiordland Lobster Company.
• Export Credit Norway, GIEK and MUFG on the export credit agency-backed financing, construction and delivery of Sealord's flagship deep-sea fishing trawler.
• Fishing quota owners and operators in the Court of Appeal, in a case which determined the extent of the powers and jurisdiction of regional councils to control fishing in the coastal marine environment in their regions.
• Deepwater Group (as representative of the New Zealand deep water fishing fleet) on fishing vessel access around the Auckland islands.
• New Zealand King Salmon on its banking facilities and equity capital raising.
• Fiordland Lobster on its fisheries operations including quota and ACE arrangements.
• The Iwi Collective Partnership on a complex fishing joint venture between 15 iwi, including ACE arrangements with Moana and the acquisition of Port Nicolson Fisheries and the related lobster quota.
• Ngāti Porou, Te Papatipu o Ōnuku and a third-party funder on the acquisition of the Akaroa Salmon business.
• Various iwi groups (including Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi and Ngāi Tahu) on proposed amendments to the Maori Fisheries Act.

Who can help

• Dairy Holdings in relation to major climate change litigation targeting corporate defendants for responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions. 
• Shanghai Pengxin to obtain OIA consents for the investments in Crafar Farms in the central North Island, Synlait Farms in South Canterbury.
• Fonterra on its major process plant procurements and refurbishment projects.
• Ravensdown on corporate governance and commercial arrangements.
• Ravensdown on its syndicated financing arrangements.
• NZ Merino on a range of projects and initiatives including its partnerships with universities and government agencies.

Who can help