Peter Castle Barrister Qualifications LLB, Victoria University of Wellington Executive Management Programme, Stanford University Member Institute of Directors Admitted 1980 New Zealand 2005 Victoria, Australia 2006 New South Wales, Australia Contact Details Direct Phone: +64 4 914 1057 Mobile: +64 21 668 641 Email: p.castle@barristerscomm.com

Peter Castle

Peter Castle is a commercial barrister. He was previously a corporate and commercial Partner at Bell Gully for 21 years

He specialises in corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial contracting and general corporate and commercial law. He has a particular focus in the energy and funds management sectors.

He also has extensive experience in advising government entities in relation to commercial contracts and commercial relationships with business as well as advising business in relation to their relationships with government.

His experiences includes:

Advice on mergers, acquisitions and takeovers (including competition law advice) in relation to banks, telecommunications, technology, finance, chemical, electricity and gas, and manufacturing businesses, including independent directors in relation to takeover offers. Recent examples include: advising the Purchaser of the National Bank, a large financial institution on the sale of its funds management business to a trans-tasman joint venture, an unsuccessful bidder for Yellow Pages, and purchasers of pharmaceutical manufacture, transcription and mental health businesses.

Advice to participants in joint ventures, consortia, partnerships and strategic alliances including joint ventures and consortia for specialist projects/acquisitions and strategic marketing alliances.

Advice on takeovers, and independent directors committees, and public offerings of equity, debt and participatory securities.

Acting on the sale and purchase (by international tender) of combined cycle and hydro generation plants.

Advice on wind, hydro, and geothermal generation projects and co-generation and distributed generation projects including joint venture ownership arrangements, land access and investigation arrangements, EPC contracts, equipment supply contracts, electricity services agreements, steam use and power purchase, transmission and back up power supply arrangements, and exemptions under the Commerce Act in relation to cross ownership.

Advice to energy distribution companies (and shareholders of energy distribution companies) generally, including, governance, general corporate matters, shareholder issues, compliance programmes, embedded networks, land access for maintenance under Section 23 Electricity Act, continuous supply issues under Section 62 of the Electricity Act, use of system agreements, connection and services contracts, contracting issues, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory matters.

Advice to purchasers of gas and electricity and all associated transmission services.

Advice to corporate trustees and fund managers in relation to a wide range, and large number, of listed and unlisted unit trusts, group investment funds, and superannuation schemes, including the listing rule compliance, investment management, custody, delegation and other contractual arrangements and the "PIE" requirements.

Commercial and standard form contracts including electricity, health and pharmaceutical contracts and the preparation of standard form purchase agreements for Ministries of the Crown.

Drafting Private Acts and Supplementary Order Papers, preparing submissions and associated, briefing and explanatory papers and speeches and attending and making submissions to select committees hearings.