Pavanie (Pav) Edirisuriya

Pav has advised a number of significant clients and transactions of the firm in recently. Most notable include:

• Advising a franchisee of a large international retailer on its establishment of a significant investment in production plantation forests in NZ through competitive auctions processes to secure existing livestock farms for conversion to forestry.
• Advising Weta Digital Limited’s divestment of VFX Tech Division to Unity for USD1.625bn (and subsequent amalgamation).
• Advising a large offshore investment manager on its establishment of numerous solar projects with a local developer in New Zealand, which included advising on the framework and corporate structure documents, advising on all overseas investment office applications, and coordinating complex legal due diligence across the firm. 
• Acting for Danaher on its acquisition of GE’s biopharma business for USD21bn, including advising and obtaining consent under the Overseas Investment Act.
• Advising Datagrid New Zealand Limited Partnership on its establishment of a hyperscale data centre in New Zealand which is expected to introduce over NZD1bn into the New Zealand economy.  This included securing consent for the acquisition under the Overseas Investment Regime.
• Advising Busy Bees on its acquisition of Provincial Education Group Limited from Waterman Private Capital, Ascentro Capital and founders.
• Advising a Chinese state-owned enterprise and its New Zealand subsidiary on the sale of their interests in a New Zealand forestry asset valued over NZD100m.
• Advising a large offshore investment manager on the sale of its organic dairy portfolio in New Zealand. 
• Advising Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited on the New Zealand aspects of the sale of its nutritional business to Lactalis for EUR740m, including in relation to obtaining consent under the Overseas Investment Act.
• Advising Yashili New Zealand Dairy Co., Limited on the establishment of a milk processing plant, which included obtaining overseas investment office consent for the acquisition of significant business assets. Pav also acted for and successfully obtained OIO consent for China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited for its subsequent takeover of Yashili. 
• Advising Dechra Pharmaceuticals Plc on its acquisition of 100% of the shares in RxVet Limited, a distributor of veterinary pharmaceutical products in New Zealand. 
• Advising Mondelez International Inc. on the New Zealand aspects of a transaction under which Mondelez International Inc. and D.E Master Blenders 1753 B.V. combined their respective coffee businesses through the establishment of a joint venture known as Jacobs Douwe Egberts. The transaction included the transfer of assets of D.E Coffee & Tea New Zealand, a New Zealand company. 
• Advising various key clients including Mondelez New Zealand, Champion Flour and Aotearoa Nutrients Limited on day-to-day legal and regulatory matters.