Isaac Stewart

Partner Kaiurungi

Isaac is a leading corporate lawyer specialising in public and private mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures and shareholder agreements, and listed and unlisted corporate advisory work.

Highly valued and trusted for his collaborative approach, Isaac helps clients navigate the M&A process in a pragmatic and commercially focused manner. He also prides himself on the service-orientated approach he takes to his practice and is known for his responsiveness and reliability.

Isaac has a wealth of experience particularly in public takeovers and the energy sector. He advised on the ‘Consumer, Media and Tech Deal of the Year’ at the 2019 New Zealand Law Awards and was part of the team that took out ‘Deal Team of the Year’ at those awards.

Isaac advised at Clifford Chance in both its Hong Kong and New York offices for more than six years. In his time there, he advised clients on significant and complex transactions throughout Asia, the United States, Europe, South America, Central America, and Australia. Clients value his international experience, the global perspective he brings to transactions and his understanding of how deal terms in New Zealand differ to other jurisdictions. This experience is invaluable when Isaac is advising on cross-border M&A or inbound M&A.

Returning home to New Zealand, Isaac joins the MinterEllisonRuddWatts partnership after advising at another leading law firm in Auckland for almost five years.

Career highlights

Advising Fonterra on the sale of its Soprole dairy business in Chile to Peruvian diary company, Gloria Foods, that will result in Fonterra receiving approximately NZD1.055 billion.

Acting for Tilt Renewables Limited in relation to the scheme of arrangement between Tilt Renewables and Powering Australian Renewables and Mercury NZ Limited.

Advising on numerous takeovers, including acting for Tilt Renewables Limited in respect of the takeover offer made by Mercury NZ Limited and Infratil 2018 Limited, Trustpower Limited and King Country Electric Power Trust on their takeover of King Country Energy Limited, Bounty Foods in respect of its takeover of Tegel Group Holdings Ltd, and an unincorporated joint venture in respect of its takeover of Finzsoft Solutions Limited.

AdvisedWestpac Group on the sale of its New Zealand life insurance business to Fidelity Life.

Advised Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) on the sale of its life insurance business.

Advising AEI on multiple transactions including (i) its disposal of Fenix Power Perú, a Peruvian power plant, (ii) its disposal of its gas distribution and related business in Bolivia and Brazil, and (iii) the sale of its gas distribution business in mainland China.

Achievements and recognition
  • Winner, Consumer, Media and Technology Deal of the Year, New Zealand Law Awards, 2019
  • Band 1 team, Corporate/Commercial, Chambers Asia-Pacific
  • Tier 1 team, Corporate and M&A, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific