Toby is a corporate lawyer with experience across a wide range of commercial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings, corporate restructurings, joint ventures and various other commercial contracts.

Toby Sharpe was appointed a Bell Gully partner at the start of 2013, having returned to Bell Gully in 2009 from four years working in the corporate team of the London office of Herbert Smith Freehills.

He is advising The Treasury on the IPO of state-owned enterprise Mighty River Power, which will be a major focus of the New Zealand market in 2013. He was also part of the team advising on the NZ$300 million restructuring of the debt and equity of the Metroglass group at the start of 2012. Recently, he acted for McGrath Nicol as receivers of GEON on the sale of its New Zealand business to the Blue Star Group.

Qualifications

LLB, BCom, University of Auckland

Admitted

2003 New Zealand
2008 England and Wales (non-practising)

International Career

  • Herbert Smith, London
    2005-2009

Publications

Contact

Email: Toby Sharpe

DDI: +64 9 916 8637

Mobile: +64 21 330 021

Download Vcard: Vcard for Toby Sharpe

Areas of Expertise

Work Highlights

Mixed Ownership Model
Advising The Treasury on the initial public offering of shares in Mighty River Power.

Metro GlassTech
Acted for senior financiers and hedge funds on the debt restructure of Metropolitan Glass and Glazing, which resulted in the senior lenders taking majority ownership of the group.

Private Placements / block trades
Acted on various private placements and block trades; for investment banks, issuers and selling shareholders.

GEON receivership
Acted for McGrath Nicol as receivers of GEON, including the sale of the New Zealand business to Blue Star.

Flotech
Acted for PPB as receivers of Flotech on the sale to management.

Acquisition of South Canterbury Finance loan portfolios
Advised a global investment bank on its successful acquisition of the rural, commercial and consumer loan portfolios of failed finance company South Canterbury Finance Group.

Yellow Pages Group restructuring
Advising the Yellow Pages Group on its debt and equity restructuring, including a rolling standstill regime, a sale process and a ‘hive down’ restructuring.

Tyndall sale
Advising Suncorp-Metway on its sale of Tyndall Investment Management.

Cedenco Foods sale
Advising KordaMentha on the sale of Cedenco Foods (in receivership) to Imanaka.

Fisher & Paykel Appliances recapitalisation
Advising Fisher & Paykel Appliances on its recapitalisation, including the introduction of Haier Group as cornerstone shareholder.