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, including for Pacific Equity Partners, CPE Capital (formerly CHAMP Private Equity), The Riverside Company, Carlyle, Fonterra and Lion. He is trusted and highly valued for his ability to work cooperatively and achieve exceptional and commercially focused results, and has recently advised Pacific Equity Partners on its sale of Manuka Health New Zealand.

Ben has significant experience in advising receivers and administrators on restructuring and insolvency related M&A, and sponsors on infrastructure projects. He also advises on New Zealand's foreign investment laws, and in 2020 he co-authored the New Zealand chapter of the global publication Getting the Deal Through – Foreign Investment Review 2020.

Ben's work highlights include acting for:

• Fonterra on its $555 million sale of its China dairy farms.
• Advent International on its acquisition, through its portfolio company Industria Chimica Emiliana, of New Zealand Pharmaceuticals.
• The founders of Mondiale on the divestment of a 50% stake to Direct Capital. 
• Fonterra on its $633 million sale of DFE Pharma to CVC.
• Pacific Equity Partners on its sale of Manuka Health New Zealand.
• The Riverside Company on its acquisition of the Hiway Group.
• CPE Capital (formerly 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.
• UP Education (a PEP portfolio entity) on its acquisition of NZ Tertiary College.
• Pacific Equity Partners, on its acquisition of Horizon Global’s Asia Pacific unit.

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

Ben is ranked as 'Highly Regarded' in M&A and Private Equity by IFLR1000, ranked in Corporate/M&A by Chambers and Partners, a Rising Star by NZ Lawyer, and a 'Leading Individual' by Legal 500, with clients describing Ben as "very hard working, exceptionally diligent, a creative problem solver", a "highly competent deal executor" and an "excellent lawyer. A rising star." Ben is also is recognised in the peer-reviewed Best Lawyers^® 2021 guide for Corporate Law. 

Ben is part of our Corporate Advisory team, which has been named New Zealand's top deal firm at the 2019 New Zealand Law Awards.