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Ed Crook
Partner
Auckland
Real Estate & Construction
+64 9 367 8452 DDI [email protected] https://www.linkedin.com/in/edcrook/
Profile Experience Insights Recognition
Profile

Ed is a highly regarded commercial property and construction expert with over 30 years' experience. He was Russell McVeagh Chair of the Partnership from 2022 - 2024.

He specialises in commercial property development, sales and leasing and all associated construction work. Ed also advises on co-ownership and joint venture arrangements, investment management arrangements and obtaining approvals from the Overseas Investment Office. Ed's client base is predominantly comprised of institutional property owners, including Goodman, Precinct Properties, Auckland Airport, PSP (of Canada), Scentre Group, Winton Land, Accident Compensation Corporation, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Guardians of NZ Superannuation.

Ed joined Russell McVeagh from UK law firm Herbert Smith in 1999. He has been a partner with Russell McVeagh since 2004.

Related Expertise

Real Estate & Property
Infrastructure & Projects
Construction
Forestry
Hotels, Hospitality and Tourism
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)
Experience

Recent experience includes advising:

  • Goodman in relation to all elements of its property acquisition, disposal and development. This has included
    • the acquisition of the former Villa Maria vineyard;
    • the acquisition and development of Highbrook Business Park and the sale of that property to a fund to be managed by GMT;
    • the development of the VXV Precinct in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter; the establishment of the joint venture between Goodman Property Trust and GIC (of Singapore) to own that precinct and the subsequent sale to Blackstone for $635m.
  • Precinct in connection with the redevelopment of the Downtown Shopping Centre into Commercial Bay, a high rise office and retail development, integrated with the City Rail Link.
  • Precinct on the sale of a half share in the ANZ Building for $181 million to a fund, and the subsequent sale of the remaining half share for $177 million.
  • Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa (on a 50% pro bono basis) on an iwi housing initiative that will initially provide 24 new whānau homes in Ōrākei in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
  • Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation in relation to its
    • $300 million residential development joint venture with Classic Builders;
    • acquisition of the Formosa Golf Resort and certain adjoining land through a limited partnership with Pipers Limited Partnership (a Russell Property Group entity).
Insights
Recognition

Ed is recognised as a leading Real Estate and Construction lawyer by the Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2025 Guide, Asialaw Profiles 2022 (also for Construction Law) and Expert Guides 2019.

He was selected by his peers as 'Lawyer of the Year' in the Best Lawyers® 2022 New Zealand Guide in the field of Real Estate Law, and has also been recognised in their 2024 Guide.

Ed features in the 'Hall of Fame' in the Legal 500 Asia-Pacific 2025 Guide and was named New Zealand Real Estate Lawyer of the Year in 2018 and 2016 at the ILO Client Choice Awards and has been recognised by Doyles Guide 2020 as a pre-eminent lawyer for Property & Real Estate, and recommended for Construction, Projects & Infrastructure in 2018.

Client feedback in Chambers and Partners Legal Guide emphasises Ed's expertise in the Real Estate and Construction sector, stating Ed:

  • "is the best operator in the market and has laser-sharp intelligence. He cuts to the heart of the issue immediately, is good-humoured and tireless."
  • "knows his stuff backwards. If you have him in your corner, half the battle is won because of his stature."
  • "is excellent on highly complex transactions. He is intelligent, commercially astute and great to deal with."
  • "I honestly think Ed is the best lawyer in the country. He's fantastic."