Our Expertise
For All Areas
Financing Transactions
Our highly regarded banking and finance group combines legal expertise, a commercial approach, and industry experience.
We act for all New Zealand trading banks, and regularly advise major banks, other financial institutions, corporates (including major listed companies), investment banks, and funds across the Asia-Pacific region. We also act for central and local government bodies.
We provide advice on all secured and unsecured lending facilities. These range from bilateral loans to large multicurrency facilities and cross-border syndicated loans. Individual areas of specialisation include business, trade, and industrial finance, property finance, construction and project finance (including public private partnerships), asset finance, and leveraged and acquisition finance.
In addition, we advise on credit instruments, international trade finance, credit insurance, and treasury risk management products and structures (including swaps, caps, and hedges).
Our banking and finance lawyers work closely with specialists from other fields - such as our commercial, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, tax, and property law experts - to ensure our clients receive the best legal advice on all aspects of financing.
Our Experience
- Auckland Council - $700 million syndicated standby facility (first syndicated facility for a local authority in New Zealand)
- Westpac - $600 million syndicated facility to finance Fulton Hogan's share buy-back and expansion into Australia
- Westpac-led banking syndicate - $300 million syndicated financing to Silver Fern Farms (formerly PPCS)
- Cargill Inc - financing of Spring Creek Mining Company (an incorporated joint venture between Cargill and Solid Energy)
- Goldman Sachs JBWere - funding for acquisition of Tyco Electrical's business in Australia and New Zealand
- Maui Capital - leveraged acquisitions of various trans-Tasman businesses, including BJ Ball, Focus Paper, and Euro Corporation
- Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) - $150 million revolving cash advances facility with the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Auckland branch)
- Commonwealth Bank of Australia - A$85 million funding for Navis Capital's leveraged acquisition of Retail Apparel Group
- UniCredit Bank AG - restructuring of global syndicated facility to fund A$157 million trans-Tasman acquisitions
- New Zealand Comfort Group (then Sleepyhead Manufacturing) - syndicated facility to acquire the Dunlop Foams and Sleepmaker business in Australia, and to refinance existing facilities
- Matariki Forests - restructuring of syndicated loan facility
- Sanctuary Group - refinance of the Group's Australia and New Zealand bank facilities and mezzanine funding
- Northpower's funding arrangements with Westpac and BNZ
What next?
Our People:
- Partners
- Wayne BrowneWayne Browne
- Peter EadyPeter Eady
- Andrew HarknessAndrew Harkness
- Senior Associates
- Laurette BarnardLaurette Barnard
- Josh CairnsJosh Cairns
- Stuart EvansStuart Evans
- James HawesJames Hawes
- Mary SmythMary Smyth
- Kelly WilliamsKelly Williams
- Paul WindeattPaul Windeatt
- Senior Legal Executives
- Jo BradfordJo Bradford
