Focus Industry

Financial Institutions

Summary

Financial institutions face a range of challenges and opportunities in the current market. Whether it is navigating complex transactions, complying with evolving regulations, resolving disputes, or debt recovery, they need legal advisers who can deliver pragmatic and innovative solutions.

That is where we come in. We are independently recognised as one of the top financial institutions' practices in New Zealand, and we have the expertise, experience, and connections to help our clients achieve their goals. We work with banks, non-bank lenders, borrowers, investors, and other stakeholders across the sector, providing comprehensive and integrated legal services that cover all aspects of banking, financial services, and insolvency law.

Key services

Banking and finance

Our banking and finance team has extensive experience in advising banks and other financial institutions on a range of complex transactions, including syndicated and bilateral lending, project and acquisition finance, security sharing and negative pledge lending. We also provide foreign law opinions and advice on corporate finance matters, such as compliance, reporting, restructuring and refinancing.

Financial services

Our financial services specialists help clients navigate the complex and evolving regulatory landscape of financial services, advising on compliance, licensing, disclosure, governance, supervision and regulatory enforcement matters. We have a wealth of experience and industry knowledge, working with leading financial institutions across various parts of the sector. Whether you need assistance with designing new products, implementing best practices, or resolving regulatory disputes, we have the expertise and insight to deliver practical solutions.

Restructuring and insolvency

Our restructuring and insolvency team advises clients on all aspects of corporate and personal insolvency, from refinancing and restructuring to debt recovery and litigation. Our experts have extensive experience and industry knowledge, working with a diverse range of stakeholders across various sectors. We help clients achieve optimal outcomes in complex and challenging situations, with a focus on cost-effective and pragmatic solutions.

Disputes and enforcement

We provide comprehensive legal services to clients facing insolvency, regulatory, or commercial disputes. We act for a range of parties in the financial services sector, including distressed companies and individuals, creditors, insolvency practitioners, and investors. We help our clients navigate the complex legal issues and risks involved in these matters, and achieve the best possible outcomes for their interests.

Key people

Work Highlights

Advising several confidential clients on significantly regulatory investigations, including High Court proceedings, involving the Financial Markets Authority and the Commerce Commission.
Acted for the liquidators of CBL Insurance Limited (in Liquidation), in a claim against the directors and advisors of the company in respect of losses claimed at no less than $320 million.
Acting for NPD Group Limited on the funding arrangements for an MBO. The funding included super senior working capital facilities, term debt provided by an offshore fund, and a significant vendor financing arrangement.
Acting for AIA New Zealand, First Credit Union, and several smaller insurers and deposit takers on their conduct licensing projects, including advising on a number of complex issues.
Assisting Scales Corporation with lending facility requirements for the establishment of a joint venture in Europe for its pet food ingredients business, where Scales Corporation is the lender of development finance and working capital finance to the joint venture company.
Advising Silverfin Capital on the establishment and offering of more than 20 wholesale and retail property investment structures.
Advising First Credit Union Incorporated on development of a capital note facility available to Credit Union Auckland to ensure it continued to meet regulatory capital requirements, and then on the subsequent takeover of Credit Union Auckland by First Credit Union.
Acting for a bank and the receivers in a large insolvency case, acquiring resource consents, advising on climate change carbon credit issues and acting in the sale and settlement of the land.