Chris Goddard

Partner, Auckland

Contact

+64 9 916 8603 +64 21 683 753 chris.goddard@bellgully.com

Expertise

Chris is an experienced corporate lawyer, with a particular focus on corporate finance transactions, including capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions and takeovers. He has extensive international experience, having worked at leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills in London and Tokyo.

Chris has a wealth of experience advising on:

• Securities offerings, including IPOs, secondary offers and bond offers
• private M&A transactions and joint ventures
• stock exchange compliance and corporate governance, and
• takeovers.

His recent work highlights include advising Ryman Healthcare, Fletcher Building, Air New Zealand, SkyCity, Synlait, Asset Plus, Contact Energy, Investore and Stride Property Group on their capital raisings, Napier Port on its NZ$234m IPO and NZX listing, AIA International on its acquisition of the Sovereign life insurance businesses, Super Retail Group on its NZ$144m acquisition of Macpac, Bapcor on its NZ$350m takeover of Hellaby Holdings, and Channel Infrastructure, SkyCity, Synlait and Investore Property on their retail bond offers.

As well as advising corporate clients across a broad range of industries and sectors, Chris regularly advises investment banks. He has also completed secondments at Goldman Sachs in New Zealand and at Deutsche Bank and Lazard in London.

Qualifications

LLB King's College, London

Masters in French Law Sorbonne, Paris

2003 Admitted England and Wales (non practising)

2010 Admitted New Zealand

Professional experience

2001-2012 Herbert Smith Freehills LLP London, UK

^{Chambers Asia Pacific 2025 Corporate/Commercial, 'Leading lawyer'.}

^{IFLR 1000 2024 M&A, 'Highly regarded'.}

^{Clients note Chris "is very personable, highly responsive and provides quality advice."}

Fletcher Building equity raises

Acting on its NZ$750m equity raise in 2018 and on its NZ$750m equity raise in 2024.

Ryman Healthcare equity raises

Acting for Ryman Healthcare on its NZ$902m equity raise in 2023 and its NZ$1bn equity raise in 2025.

Air New Zealand recapitalisation

Acting for Air New Zealand on its recapitalisation package, including its NZ$1.2bn pro rata renounceable rights offer.

IPO and NZX Main Board listing of Napier Port

Acting for Hawke's Bay Regional Council and Port of Napier in connection with the NZ$234m IPO and NZX Main Board listing of Napier Port.

SkyCity retail bond offer

Advised SkyCity on its NZ$175m retail bond offer.

AIA acquisition

Advised on its acquisition of the Sovereign life insurance businesses. AIA acquired the Australian and New Zealand life insurance businesses from CBA for A$3.8bn.