DLA Piper advises Investment Services Group on sale of majority stake

DLA Piper has advised New Zealand-based Investment Services Group Limited (ISG) on the sale of 75% of its shares to Shaw and Partners. Shaw and Partners is owned by EFG International, a global private banking group headquartered in Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Stock Exchange. The NZD67.5 million transaction completed on 31 July 2025.

ISG provides investment and wealth management services, with more than NZD7 billion in assets under management across wealth management, funds management and its investment platform. Partnering with Shaw and Partners – one of Australia’s preeminent investment and wealth advisory businesses – provides ISG with a long-term partner who can accelerate growth, and who has a focus on developing long-term relationships with clients that are founded on trust which is aligned with ISG's approach to client partnerships.

The DLA Piper team was led by corporate partner Reuben Woods, supported by senior associate Steph McQuaid. The firm’s Wellington-based team, led by partner Rachel Taylor and assisted by Boston Flanagan-Connors was also heavily involved on vendor due diligence and regulatory matters.

Woods said, “We enjoyed working with ISG on this strategically important transaction. The sale marks a significant milestone for the company and positions it for continued growth in partnership with Shaw and Partners. It was a privilege to support Paul Glass and the ISG team through a competitive and complex process to achieve such a strong outcome.”

Paul Glass, Executive Chair of ISG Group, commented, “Reuben and Steph were fantastic to work with and added a lot of value to our transaction. We particularly appreciated their availability and commitment when the process became intense, timing became critical and the workload lifted significantly. We really enjoyed working with them as members of the team and hope to do so again in future.”

Murray & Co acted as investment bankers to ISG. Buddle Findlay acted as legal advisors to Shaw and Partners.