A number of organisations advised by Simpson Grierson have been named as finalists at the 2026 INFINZ Awards, New Zealand’s premier awards recognising excellence in mergers and acquisitions, debt transactions and capital markets activity.

This year’s finalists include transactions spanning large scale M&A, mid market mergers and growth enabling debt financings, reflecting the breadth of work being undertaken by our clients across key sectors of the New Zealand economy.

Finalists include:

• Alliance Group: M&A Transaction of the Year for the sale of a 65% interest in Alliance to Dawn - a significant transaction in New Zealand’s agribusiness sector.
• Adamantem with regard to their investment in the merger of Forest 360 and PF Olsen: Mid-Market M&A Transaction of the Year following their merger, bringing together complementary forestry services expertise to create a strengthened platform for growth. 
• Private Capital Group for their role in funding the management buyout of Carbn Group: Mid-Market Debt Transaction of the Year, recognising the successful structuring of debt financing to support its business objectives. 
• Bank of New Zealand with regard to funding the refinance of Totara Learning Solutions: Mid-Market Debt Transaction of the Year, highlighting a financing that supports continued growth in the education technology sector.

The recognition of multiple client transactions across categories highlights the continued strength of deal activity in New Zealand’s M&A and debt markets, and the increasingly sophisticated transactions being executed in the mid-market.

Simpson Grierson was closely involved in advising clients across these shortlisted transactions, reflecting the firm’s sustained role at the forefront of significant M&A and financing activity in New Zealand. Our involvement across multiple recognised deals underscores the depth of our experience advising on complex, market leading transactions.

A number of Simpson Grierson partners were involved in advising on these shortlisted transactions, including James Hawes, Andrew Kirk and Tara Wylie on the Alliance transaction; Michael Pollard, Anastasiya Gamble, Dominic Toomey and Tara Wylie advising Adamantem on its investment in the merger of Forest 360 and PF Olsen; Josh Cairns advising Private Capital Group on the funding of the Carbn Group management buyout; and Dominic Toomey advising Bank of New Zealand on the Totara Learning Solutions refinancing.

We congratulate the shortlisted organisations and recognise the teams involved in delivering these transactions.