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 (formally 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 also has significant experience in advising receivers and administrators on restructuring and insolvency related M&A, and sponsors on infrastructure projects.

Ben's work highlights include acting for:

• Fonterra on its 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 (formally 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 Havana Coffee.
• Manuka Health New Zealand on its acquisition of Neuseelandhaus GmbH (a German distributor).
• Lion on its acquisition of Harrington's Breweries.
• Lion – Dairy & Drinks on its sale of the Yoplait yoghurt business to Goodman Fielder.
• The Riverside Company on its sale of Simcro.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fonterra Co-operative Group on its $342m joint venture with Abbott Laboratories, to develop a hub of five large scale dairy farms in China.

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

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

Ben is a listed lawyer by Chambers and Partners 2020. 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. Ben is listed as a highly regarded M&A and Private Equity lawyer by IFLR 1000. 

Ben joined Russell McVeagh in 2008.