Ben Paterson

A key dealmaker for Russell McVeagh, with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures and overseas investment, Ben has acted on a number of significant transactions providing high quality legal advice to large scale, high-value corporations on complex financial transactions.

Ben is an important contact for key corporate clients of Russell McVeagh including Pacific Equity Partners, The Riverside Company, CHAMP Private Equity, Fonterra, Lion and Oceania Healthcare. He is trusted and highly valued for his ability to work cooperatively and achieve exceptional results, and recently advised Pacific Equity Partners on its acquisition of Manuka Health New Zealand.

Ben's work highlights include acting for:

• Pacific Equity Partners on its sale of Manuka Health New Zealand.
• Riverside on its acquisition of the Hiway Group.
• CHAMP Private Equity in respect of a key New Zealand investment.
• The Carlyle Group on the New Zealand aspects of its acquisition of Accolade Wines.
• Lion on its acquisition of Harrington's Breweries.
• Lion – Dairy & Drinks on its sale of the Yoplait yoghurt business to Goodman Fielder.
• Lion on its acquisition of Panhead Breweries.
• Oceania Healthcare on its initial public offering and dual listing on the NZX and ASX.
• 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.
• The Riverside Company on its sale of Simcro.
• Pacific Equity Partners on its $700m divestment of Griffin’s Foods to Universal Robina Corporation.
• Pacific Equity Partners on its acquisition of Manuka Health New Zealand.
• Advised Griffin’s Foods Limited on the acquisition of 50.1% of the shares in Proper Snack Foods Limited.
• Daiken on its proposed acquisition of a large Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) production plant in Mataura (by way of acquisition of shares in Dongwha New Zealand Limited) from Dongwha International and Laminex.

LLB (Hons), BSc (University of Canterbury).

Ben is a member of the New Zealand Private Equity & Venture Capital Association and the Australian New Zealand Sports Law Association.

Ben was a finalist for the 2016 Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year at the New Zealand Law Awards.

Ben joined Russell McVeagh in 2008.