Torrin Crowther

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Torrin heads Bell Gully’s market-leading competition and antitrust law practice, which has earned the highest New Zealand ranking from Global Competition Review for the past 18 years.

Torrin practises competition law exclusively and advises on the full spectrum of competition-related matters – with particular expertise on cross-border mergers and acquisitions and cartel leniency issues.

His work includes acting for corporate clients to successfully resolve Commerce Commission investigations into alleged cartel and market power conduct and working with clients to develop and implement compliance programmes.

Torrin is ranked by leading legal directories. Chambers Asia Pacific 2023 again ranks him in the top tier of competition lawyers. In previous editions he was widely praised for his experience in large cross-border transactions and on behavioural matters. Clients described Torrin as "one of the top lawyers in the New Zealand competition field," he was characterised by a client as a "very commercial, accessible and available" adviser, noted for his "comprehensive knowledge of our business and industry." A previous edition also recognised Torrin with having a "very deep and granular understanding of the competition environment in New Zealand" and “an intuitive knack for understanding issues."

Torrin is also recognised by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023 in the hall of fame for competition law as well as recommended for transport. Clients regard him as "the best competition lawyer in the country both technically but more importantly in terms of pragmatism and providing easily understood advice at all levels of a client’s organisation." Another client said "Torrin has a unique ability to assess the particular pressures that face our business. His in-depth understanding of both the economic realities of our business and operations and how these might be considered in any particular assessment made by the Commerce Commission is invaluable". In previous editions, clients said he "provides very commercially-oriented advice" and that he "understands that the audience for advice is often the business rather than the legal team and is able to distil and communicate complex, technical legal issues in a very accessible way." He has also previously been recommended for corporate and M&A.

Torrin is also listed as one of the leading New Zealand competition/anti-trust specialists by Who's Who Legal, and Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers/Economists.

In addition to commenting for specialist competition law publications on competition law matters affecting New Zealand, Torrin has also contributed to the following:

L Evans and others "Competition Aspects of Joint Ventures: A Perspective from the South Pacific" (2014) 10 CLI 91.
DD Sokol, D Crane and A Ezrachi (eds) Global Antitrust Compliance Handbook (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014) at ch 29.
ILANZ Essential Guide to In-House practice – Competition Law (2013).
In-House Counsel Practical Guidance – Competition Law (LexisNexis, New Zealand, 2014).
C Campbell (ed) Handbook of Competition Enforcement Agencies 2014 (Law Business Research, London, 2014) at 224.
New Zealand chapter of the 2016 edition of Global Competition Review – GCR Know-how: Immunity, Sanctions & Settlements.

Work highlights

Mylan N.V merger with Upjohn
Advised Mylan N.V. on its successful merger with Upjohn to form Viatris including obtaining Commerce Commission clearance.

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated acquisition
Advised Elanco Animal Health Incorporated on its agreement with Bayer AG to acquire its animal health business in a transaction worth US$6.9 billion, including obtaining Commerce Commission clearance.

McGraw-Hill merger with Cengage
Advised McGraw-Hill on the proposed merger with Cengage, both global publishers of educational products, including obtaining formal Commerce Commission clearance.

Air New Zealand
Long-standing adviser to Air New Zealand, including in particular in relation to its alliances with other international airlines.

Fletcher Building acquisition of Higgins Group Holdings
Advised Fletcher Building on the NZ$305 million acquisition of Higgins construction company and obtaining Commerce Commission clearance.

Authorisation of provisions for commingling arrangements
Advised Tabcorp Australia (Tabcorp) on the successful application for Commerce Commission authorisation to allow Tabcorp to commingle totalisator horse and greyhound racing betting pools with the New Zealand Racing Board.

Cavalier Wool acquisition of NZ Wool Services International
Acting on the Commerce Commission authorisation for the merger of the only two wool scouring businesses in New Zealand. The Commission accepted the benefits of the merger (efficiencies, release of surplus assets etc) outweighed the detriment from a reduction in competition. Our work involved successfully defending the Commission’s authorisation during third party appeals to the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Cartel leniency applications
Acting on a number of successful applications for leniency under the Commerce Commission's Cartel Leniency Policy.

Cartel and market conduct investigations
Acting on Commerce Commission investigations into alleged cartel and other market behaviour conduct.

Sector-specific regimes and exemptions
Advising on the application of sector-specific competition regimes and Commerce Act exemptions.

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Work highlights

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