Tayla Johnston

Partner

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Tayla is a skilled corporate and commercial lawyer with more than eight years of experience.

She advises on all aspects of private mergers and acquisitions (M&A), shareholder and subscription agreements, joint venture agreements, constitutions, corporate governance, and commercial contracts. She also has experience advising buyers, sellers, and insurers on warranty and indemnity insurance.

Tayla provides commercial law advice to a broad range of clients based both in New Zealand and overseas, including individuals, private companies, SMEs, large corporates, and private equity funds. She regularly acts on deals involving a large number of vendors and is skilled at managing complex transactions.

Tayla has significant expertise in the health and aged care sectors, having previously acted for Evolve, Aspire2, Habit, Bupa, and Arena Living and, more recently, acting on the sale of several radiology businesses.

Her work in the health and aged care sectors is complemented by her expertise in the retirement village industry and knowledge of retirement village law. Working alongside Liz Rowe, she regularly acts for number of operators, Covenant Trustee Services Limited, and also ASB Bank Limited, advising on registrations, financing, land acquisitions, village sales and compliance matters, as well as disputes.

A dedicated, knowledgeable, and personable adviser, Tayla strives to understand her clients, their drivers and their businesses, and to deliver the best outcomes to them. Clients appreciate her friendly nature, diligence, and commercial approach.

Career highlights

Advising Fonterra on the sale of its Soprole dairy business in Chile to Peruvian diary company, Gloria Foods, that will result in Fonterra receiving approximately NZD1.055 billion.

Advising Pencarrow Private Equity and the other shareholders of MMC on the sale of that business to Apex (having also advised Pencarrow-backed investment administration specialist MMC on its acquisition of Aegis).

Advising the shareholders of Ritchies Transport on all aspects of the sale of that company to KKR.

Advising the shareholders of Auckland Radiology Group on the sale of their business to Infratil.

Advising UK based private equity firm Livingbridge on Habit Health’s acquisition of Southern Rehab (having previously advised the shareholders of Habit Health (including New Zealand Equity Partners) on the sale of Habit to Livingbridge).

Acting for NZ Equity Partners on its investment in HazardCo Holding Company Limited.

Acting for US based service commerce platform EverCommerce on its acquisition of New Zealand booking based software developer Timely. We completed due diligence, Overseas Investment Office approvals and negotiation and completion of the transaction for EverCommerce.

Affiliations
  • Committee member - Emerging Talent in M&A
Achievements and recognition
  • Rising Star, Corporate and M&A, IFLR1000, 2024
  • Finalist, Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year, New Zealand Law Awards, 2023
  • Rising Star, NZ Lawyer, 2023
  • Band 1 team, Corporate/Commercial, Chambers Asia-Pacific
  • Tier 1 team, Corporate and M&A, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific