David provides advice on divestments, acquisitions, and commercial contracts.

He is a senior member of the corporate department and in addition to advising on a full range of corporate and commercial matters, has specific expertise in planning and implementing competitive trade sales, major contracts including outsourcing, mill upgrades, joint ventures and outsourcing, and dealing with trans-Tasman transactions.

David provides strategic advice and has negotiated a wide range of agreements for international and domestic clients in a number of sectors, including forestry, fisheries, horticulture, heavy industry, telecommunications and electricity. He is actively involved in the agribusiness sector and leads the firm's agribusiness team.

He has extensive experience advising overseas investors when acquiring businesses in New Zealand. David has assisted a number of large international companies to obtain the necessary regulatory consents under the Overseas Investment Act. This included Hewlett Packard in 2008 when it acquired EDS, Asahi Group in 2011 when it acquired Charlie's Group and BayWa AG in 2012 when it acquired Turners & Growers Limited. 

David is highly recommended for his expertise, being listed as a leading individual in this area in PLC Which Lawyer? 2011, Who's Who Legal 2012 (in Corporate Governance 2012 and Regulatory Communications 2011) and The Asia Pacific Legal 500.

Qualifications

BCA, Victoria University of Wellington
LLB, University of Auckland

Admitted

1977 New Zealand

Publications

Contact

Email: David Boswell

DDI: +64 9 916 8941

Mobile: +64 21 764 292

Download Vcard: Vcard for David Boswell

Areas of Expertise

Work Highlights

Key Clients
Acts for a number of large New Zealand and international companies on a range of legal matters including Siemens, Hewlett Packard, AT&T, Downer Group, Carter Holt Harvey, Aotearoa Fisheries and Stratos Group.

Takeovers
Acted for Asahi Group in relation to its takeover of Charlie's Group, and for BayWa on its NZ$150 million takeover of Turners & Growers Limited.

Brambles Restructuring
Advised Brambles Limited on the restructuring of the Brambles New Zealand Group and the 2011 sale of Brambles’ Recall business.

Hewlett Packard
Advised Hewlett Packard on the New Zealand aspects of its 2008 acquisition of EDS.

Aotearoa Fisheries Limited
Acted in 2012 for Aotearoa Fisheries on the purchase from Sanford Limited of its New Zealand oyster farms.

Carter Holt Harvey
Acted as lead partner on most of Rank Group New Zealand-based subsidiary Carter Holt Harvey's major divestments, including the sale of its Australasian Tissue business, the 2007 sale of its Australian building supplies business, the sale and leaseback with Valad Property Group of a number of Australasian commercial / industrial properties, the sale of approximately one third of its forest estate in 2003/04 and the sale of the balance in 2006, and the sale of its New Zealand medium density fibreboard business to ITOCHU Corporation and Daiken Corporation.