Chris Goddard

Contact Chris

Chris is an experienced corporate lawyer, with a particular focus on corporate finance transactions, including capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions and takeovers.

Chris has extensive international experience, having worked at leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills in London and Tokyo for over 11 years.

Chris has a wealth of experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, IPOs, bond offers, secondary offers and takeovers. His recent work highlights include advising Ryman Healthcare, Air New Zealand, SkyCity, Synlait, Asset Plus, Contact Energy, Investore and Stride Property Group on their capital raisings, Napier Port on its $234 million IPO and NZX listing, AIA International on its acquisition of the Sovereign life insurance businesses, Super Retail Group on its NZ$144 million acquisition of Macpac, Bapcor on its NZ$350 million takeover of Hellaby Holdings, and SkyCity, Synlait and Investore Property on their 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.

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 recommends Chris as a corporate and M&A lawyer. Chris is also ranked as highly regarded for M&A in the IFLR1000 2023.

Work highlights

M&A transactions

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

Hellaby Holdings takeover
Advised Bapcor on its NZ$350 million takeover of Hellaby Holdings and on its subsequent sales of its footwear, tyres and contract resources divisions.

Partners Life investment
Advised Blackstone on its NZ$200 million investment in Partners Life.

Watts Water Technologies acquisition
Advised Watts Water Technologies, a NYSE listed company, on its acquisition of Apex Valves.

Acquisition of Orica's chemical business
Advised Blackstone on its acquisition of Orica's chemicals business valued at A$750 million.

Capital markets transactions

Air New Zealand recapitalisation including rights offer
Advising Air New Zealand on its comprehensive $2.2 billion recapitalisation package to help position the airline for recovery, including its $1.2 billion pro rata renounceable rights offer.

Initial public offering and NZX Main Board listing of Napier Port Holdings Limited
Acting for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Investment Company Limited, Port of Napier Limited and Napier Port Holdings Limited in connection with the $234 million initial public offering and NZX Main Board listing of Napier Port Holdings Limited.

Contact Energy NZ$400 million equity raise
Acting for Contact Energy on its NZ$400 million placement and retail offer to fund the proposed Tauhara geothermal power station.

Ryman Healthcare NZ$902 million entitlement offer
Advised Ryman Healthcare on its NZ$902 million accelerated entitlement offer with retail entitlements trading on NZX. This transaction was the first offer by a NZX listed issuer using the PAITREO offer structure.

SkyCity retail bond offer
Advised SkyCity on its retail bond offer of up to NZ$125 million (plus up to $50 million oversubscriptions).