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David Raudkivi
Partner
Auckland
Corporate Advisory
+64 9 367 8344 DDI [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-raudkivi-1a52a526/
Profile Experience Insights Recognition
Profile

David is the National Practice Group Chair of Russell McVeagh’s Corporate Advisory Group and a leading New Zealand capital markets and M&A lawyer. He focuses on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), takeovers, private equity, shareholder activism and other complex corporate matters. 

David has extensive experience on public company transactions, including significant initial public offerings (IPO), secondary capital raisings, block trades, takeovers and schemes of arrangement. He regularly acts for listed companies, boards, shareholders, private equity sponsors and institutional investors.

David also has substantial expertise in the forestry sector, having acted on both the sell side and buy side of several of the largest forestry transactions in New Zealand. He has advised clients on consortium forestry joint ventures, equity transactions and significant commercial arrangements throughout the timber industry. This includes obtaining Overseas Investment Office (OIO) consents and national interest assessments for major forestry investments.

David joined Russell McVeagh in 2003, before gaining international experience in the mergers and acquisitions team at Davis Polk in Manhattan. He returned to the firm in 2010 and was promoted to partner in 2015.

Related Expertise

Corporate Advisory
Capital Markets
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Equity
Agribusiness & Food
Aged Care
Forestry
Hotels, Hospitality and Tourism
Experience

David's M&A and takeover experience includes advising:

  • Beijing Capital on the sale of its entire stake in Waste Management for $1.9b.
  • The Board of NZX/ASX listed Trade Me on its takeover by scheme of arrangement by Apax (the largest takeover in New Zealand in a decade and largest ever by scheme of arrangement), including managing the contested bidding process involving H&F.
  • Infratil Limited on its partial takeover of Trustpower.
  • Zhejiang Rifa Holding Group Co on its partial takeover and subsequent take private of Airwork Holdings.
  • The board of Radius Properties Limited on the partial takeover offer made for its ordinary shares by Montagu Investment Holdings Limited and the subsequent going private transaction under scheme of arrangement.
  • Trustpower on its demerger and NZX and ASX listing of Tilt Renewables. 
  • Hancock as manager of Tasman Bay Forests Company on the sale of 24,000 ha of forestry to Sumitomo Forestry Group.
  • Samling on the sale of Hikurangi Forest Farms with a 35,000 ha forestry estate to a consortium managed by New Forests.
  • Healthscope on its acquisition of the Wellington pathology assets from Abano Healthcare and Sonic Healthcare.
  • Retirement Villages Group on its three-way stock for stock merger with Metlifecare and Vision Senior Living.
  • Pacific Equity Partners on the sale of Tegel Foods.
  • Avis Budget Group on its acquisition of Apex Car Rentals.
  • Fairfax Media on the acquisition of Trade Me.

David's capital markets experience includes advising:

  • Macquarie and UBS as underwriters and joint lead managers of Ryman's $900m AREO.
  • Citi and UBS as underwriters on Air New Zealand's rights offer and $2.2 billion recapitalisation.
  • NZX (the New Zealand stock exchange) on its own AREO capital raising, underwritten by UBS.
  • Allbirds on extending direct participation to New Zealanders based on the US prospectus in connection with its IPO and listing on the NASDAQ. 
  • Fonterra on the initial public offering of NZX and ASX listed units in the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund as part of the 'Trading Among Farmers' programme introduced by Fonterra.
  • Genesis Energy on its IPO as part of the New Zealand Government's mixed ownership programme.
  • Origin Energy on the block trade sale of its entire control shareholding in Contact Energy.
  • Zuellig on its block trade sale of shares in EBOS.
  • Arrium on the block trade sale of its entire control shareholding in Steel & Tube.
  • Fairfax Media and Trade Me on the initial public offering of NZX and ASX listed shares in Trade Me Group and advising Fairfax Media on its subsequent block trades of shares in Trade Me.
  • Macquarie as underwriter and bookrunner of the block trade of shares in NZX listed Vista Group International.
Insights
Recognition

David is one of only five practitioners across Australia and New Zealand named 'Most Highly Regarded' for Capital Markets Law by Who's Who Legal's 2022 Report. He was also named 2022 'Lawyer of the Year' by Best Lawyers® New Zealand for Capital Markets Law, and is recognised in 2024 for Capital Markets, Corporate, M&A and Private Equity Law. He is described in the Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2022 Guide as a "standout practitioner" for Corporate and M&A, is ranked by the Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2025 Guide in Corporate/Commercial Law, is recommended by Who's Who Legal for Capital Markets, and is recognised by the IFLR1000 2024/25 Asia Pacific Guide as a 'Highly Regarded' Practitioner for Capital Markets: M&A and Equity.

David is part of our Corporate Advisory team which won New Zealand's Deal Team of the Year at the 2019 New Zealand Law Awards, and he received Excellence Awards as a top New Zealand Dealmaker at the 2021 and 2020 Australasian Law Awards.

Client feedback emphasises David's expertise in the Corporate Advisory sector, stating David:

"is a strong capital markets practitioner with a pragmatic approach to resolving issues." - IFLR1000

"is probably one of the best M&A partners I have worked with. In my previous jobs, I have done a lot of M&A and corporate finance work and worked with some of the top lawyers in London, Hong Kong and New York. I must say he is as good as them." - IFLR1000

"possesses considerable expertise in publicly traded deals, refinancing structures, prominent take-overs and shareholder disputes." - Who's Who Legal Australia and New Zealand Guide.