Sidley represented The Rohatyn Group, an investment firm specializing in emerging markets and real assets, in its US$710 million acquisition of an entity that holds Rayonier Inc.’s 77% interest in Matariki Forestry Group, a New Zealand joint venture. Matariki Forestry Group manages approximately 287,000 productive acres of timberland and is the third largest forestry operator in New Zealand. With the completion of the transaction, The Rohatyn Group has over the past four years deployed US$2 billion on behalf of select institutional clients seeking diversified exposure to global timberland and agriculture, including in the United States, Australia, Panama, New Zealand, and Uruguay. The seller, Rayonier Inc. (NYSE: RYN), is a leading timberland real estate investment trust (REIT).
The Sidley team was led by Alyssa A. Grikscheit (Investment Funds/M&A) and included Christian Brause and Andrew B. Smith (Tax); Mee Kyung Han (Private Equity); and foreign temporary associate Ana Cristina do Val Fausto (Investment Funds).
