Neil Millar

Partner - Corporate and Commercial

Neil has broad corporate and commercial experience, in particular in the mergers and acquisitions and private equity area. He is also the leader of the firm’s privately-owned business team, responsible for the delivery of commercial services to our owner-operator clients.

With extensive and international experience, Neil advises on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions and private equity, business sale, commercial and business transactions for a range of private equity players and corporate, SME and start up companies. He also advises on practical governance issues, director responsibilities and strategic issues for his clients.

Neil is also a specialist in the field of warranty and indemnity insurance, providing in-market assistance to a number of the key insurers and assisting buyers and sellers with advice in connection with policies and claims.

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Professional background

Recent work

Kraft Heinz

Advised on all New Zealand aspects of its acquisition of the New Zealand, Australian and Singaporean food and instant coffee business of Cerebos Pacific Limited from Suntory Beverage & Food.

Aintree Finance Limited

Advised Aintree Finance Limited and its ultimate radiologist shareholders on the acquisition of 71.17% of the shares in Ascot Radiology Limited from Abano Radiology Limited.

E-Co Products Group Limited (the owner of the HRV group of companies)

Represented the shareholders of E-Co on the sale of the HRV group to Vector Limited, providing legal support to the sellers from the moment it was decided to seek an exit.

MMC Limited

Acted for the shareholders of MMC Limited on their sale of 50% of the company to Pencarrow Private equity.  We assisted in all aspects of the transaction including the sale arrangements and the ongoing shareholder arrangements.

Adhesif Limited

Acted for the shareholders of Adhesif Limited on the sale of that company to Hexagon Holdings (backed by Mercury Capital). We assisted the shareholders with all aspects of the sale, including negotiation of the sale agreement and completion of the transaction.

Aspire2 acquisition and sale of shares

Advised Aspire2 (New Zealand’s largest vocational education provider) and its founders in the acquisition of several private education groups, and the sale of the shares in Aspire2 business to Archer Capital.

Evolve Education Group IPO

Advised Evolve Education on its childcare roll up and IPO. Evolve entered into 39 separate transactions to purchase 85 childcare centres and two home care businesses. The transactions included the purchase of Lollipops Educare (30 centres), PORSE and Au Pair Link. Evolve then conducted an IPO to raise the $132m required to fund the acquisitions and listing on NZX and ASX.

Icebreaker Limited

Advised on their global expansion which represented a major capital raise for a local business of this kind. This transaction was complex because of the number of investors involved.

Admitted

  • New Zealand (2008)
  • Scotland (1997)

Qualifications

  • Dip Lp University of Edinburgh
  • LLB (Hons) University of Edinburgh

Specialisations

  • Capital Markets
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Private Equity
  • Privately Owned Businesses
  • Shareholder Agreements
  • Warranty Insurance

Awards

  • Regarded as a leading Corporate lawyer by Chambers Asia Pacific & Global
  • Regarded as a leading Corporate and M&A lawyer by IFLR1000
  • Recognised by Best Lawyers for Corporate Law