New Zealand’s overseas investment regime can have a significant impact on transaction timing, structure and certainty. Whether you are acquiring sensitive land, investing in a New Zealand business or entering into a joint venture, early advice is essential.
We have extensive experience advising domestic and offshore clients on the Overseas Investment Act (OIA) and securing approvals from the Overseas Investment Office (OIO). Our lawyers act on some of New Zealand’s largest and most complex transactions, with particular strength across property, infrastructure, energy, tourism, healthcare, forestry and private capital.
Because overseas investment issues are often part of a broader transaction, our corporate, property, tax, finance and regulatory specialists work closely to deliver practical, joined-up advice. We help clients identify approval requirements early, manage risk and keep transactions on track.
We advise on all aspects of overseas investment matters, including:
- whether OIA approval is required
- transaction structuring and deal conditionality
- OIO consent applications
- sensitive land, significant business assets and fishing quota transactions
- investor test, benefit to New Zealand and national interest assessments
- standing consents, exemptions and variations
- compliance, enforcement and investigations
- overseas investment aspects of M&A, property and private capital transactions
- farm land advertising requirements and exemptions.
Clients choose us for our deep knowledge of the regime, strong relationships with the OIO and across the market, and practical focus on getting deals done.
Our specialists include past and present members of the OIO's legal reference group, keeping us at the forefront of the OIO’s policies and approach. We are also active contributors to law reform, regularly making submissions on proposed changes to the OIA and authoring leading publications on New Zealand’s foreign investment regime.
- Advising Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan on its $730m acquisition of the Waonui forestry estate – approximately 24,443 hectares in the Central North Island.
- Advising the InfraRed and Northleaf consortium on the property and OIA consent aspects of its $1.7b acquisition of Vodafone’s cellular tower network.
- Advising Powerco on its acquisition of Firstlight Network, consolidating electricity distribution infrastructure in the Tairāwhiti and Wairoa regions.
- Successfully obtaining a number of OIA consents for Arvida in respect of their retirement villages, including a standing consent for residential land.
- Obtaining multiple OIA consents for Tasman Tourism’s growing portfolio of holiday parks across New Zealand.
- Advising TA Associates on its 50% acquisition of Craigs Investment Partners, one of New Zealand’s largest investment advisory firms.
- Advising Partners Life on major corporate transactions, including a cornerstone investment by Blackstone, acquisition of BNZ Life and 100% sale to Tokyo-listed insurer Dai-ichi Life for $1b.
- Advising NZ Super Fund and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan on their joint acquisition of Asia Pacific Healthcare Group, New Zealand’s largest pathology business.
- Advising Shell on the sale of its New Zealand upstream oil and gas operations to Vienna-based OMV.
- Advising Tara Iti Family Office on the acquisition, OIA consents and development and investor structuring for Tara Iti and Te Arai Links, including the world-class golf courses, associated facilities and visitor accommodation.
- Advising Warburg Pincus and ESR Group on the downstream New Zealand OIO implications for various upstream transactions involving ESR Group and the ARA Group.
- Acting for PAG on the establishment of a partnership with Precinct Properties for the $240m acquisition of 40 and 44 Bowen Street in Wellington.
- Advising the InfraRed and Northleaf consortium on the property and OIA consent aspects of its $1.7b acquisition of Vodafone’s cellular tower network.
- Advising Accolade Wines on its acquisition of Pernod Ricard Winemakers, and merger to form Vinarchy.
- Assisting Shanghai Pengxin to obtain OIA consents for its investments in Crafar Farms in the central North Island and Synlait Farms in South Canterbury.
- Successfully securing a farm land advertising exemptions for a variety of solar farm developers in respect of multiple sites.
