Bell Gully news

Bell Gully advises on Datasquirt IPO
Bell Gully has advised Datasquirt on the New Zealand aspects of its Australasian IPO and ASX listing. Bell Gully corporate partner Dean Oppenhuis, assisted by solicitor Fleur Adcock, advised on the listing which aims to raise up to A$12 million (NZ$13 million) for international expansion. The Datasquirt business, started in New Zealand in 2001, develops contact centre solutions using mobile and wireless technology, providing businesses and their customers with options for communicating with each other, for example through text messaging. The company is now focusing on the international market through partnerships with companies in the US, Europe and Australia. The IPO closed on August 16.

Bell Gully's corporate partners highly ranked in M&A guide
Bell Gully's corporate partners top the rankings in the recently released Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook 2007/08 published by the Practical Law Company. Gavin Macdonald ranked in the top tier as a leading lawyer. Highly recommended rankings went to David Boswell, Andrew Brown, David Flacks and Brynn Gilbertson with Peter Castle and Garry Downs both recommended.

Partners talk finance law reform across Tasman
The implications for Australian-based business of the significant reform of New Zealand's finance sector law was on the agenda at a seminar held recently in Sydney. Bell Gully partners David Craig and Hugh Kettle briefed 70 Sydney-side lawyers and banking specialists on the changes and their impact on Australian entities doing business in New Zealand.

Bell Gully key legal advisors on major global deal
Bell Gully has advised Fletcher Building on its major acquisition of United States-headquartered Formica Corporation. Fletcher Building, New Zealand's second largest listed company, signed an agreement on 22 May 2007 to buy Formica from private equity investors, Cerberus Capital Management LP and Oaktree Capital Management LLC, for NZ$1 billion (US$750 million).

A Bell Gully team of partners and lawyers led by Brynn Gilbertson and including Jayne Kirton, Murray King and Louise Hill, has been working with Fletcher Building on the transaction since October last year.

Off the shelf
Other useful articles and publications from Bell Gully.

Enquiries and information

For more information on any of the cases, articles and features in Commercial Quarterly, please email Diane Graham or call her on 64 9 916 8849.