Banking and finance

Our team advises on the full range of finance transactions, including leveraged and acquisition finance, property finance, project and infrastructure finance including public private partnerships, derivatives, structured finance, securitisations and other asset-backed financing, and debt capital market issuances.

Our team members are recognised experts in specialist areas such as anti-money laundering, financial services and consumer credit regulation. Our team also includes New Zealand's only specialist derivatives practice, which is headed by Zac Kedgley-Foot who is New Zealand counsel to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.

The Bell Gully banking and finance team is consistently involved in the development of all aspects of the New Zealand loan market, including the securitisation and sustainable finance markets.

Work highlights

Igneo Infrastructure Partners acquisition of Waste Management New Zealand
Advised Igneo Infrastructure Partners on the funding aspects of its acquisition of Waste Management New Zealand.

Igneo Infrastructure Partners acquisition of Ultrafast Fibre
Advised Igneo Infrastructure Partners (formerly First Sentier Investors) on the funding aspects of its acquisition of Ultrafast Fibre (now Tuatahi First Fibre) for NZ$854 million.

Acquisition of APM
Advised King & Wood Mallesons and Bank of America on the financing of the AU$1.5 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Australia's largest provider of disability employment services, APM, by American private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners.

Acquisition of Abano
Advised BGH Capital and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan on the financing of the acquisition of Abano by scheme of arrangement and subsequent acquisition of Bupa’s New Zealand dental business.

Acquisition of Vocus and 2degrees
Advised the lead arrangers on the New Zealand finance arrangements for the acquisition of Vocus Group Limited by a consortium of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) and superannuation fund Aware Super for AU$3.5 billion, and the subsequent acquisition of 2degrees for NZ$1.7 million.

Acquisition of Ritchies Transport
Advised the lending syndicate on the financing arrangements relating to the acquisition by KKR of Ritchies Transport.

Acquisition of Ziwi
Advised FountainVest on the New Zealand aspects of the acquisition financing provided in respect of its acquisition of Ziwi, the New Zealand-based ultra-premium pet food manufacturer and global exporter.

Air New Zealand financing
Advised Air New Zealand on all aspects of the Crown support of the company following the Covid-related border closures in New Zealand, including the negotiation of a secured standby term loan facility agreement of NZ$1 billion and the establishment of a NZ$1 billion redeemable share structure.

Fletcher Building Limited financing arrangements
Advised Fletcher Building on its domestic and international funding arrangements, including advising on an issue of long term notes by way of US private placement.

Metlifecare financing arrangements
Advised Metlifecare on the re-financing of its bank loan facilities into an NZ$1.25 billion sustainability linked loan, the re-designation of its existing listed bonds as sustainability bonds and its ‘sustainability-linked’ interest rate swap.

Xero Limited financing arrangements
Advised Xero on its corporate syndicated facilities and its convertible note issuances.

First Gas financing
Advised New Zealand energy infrastructure group First Gas Limited on its financing arrangements including refinancing its syndicated facilities and its US private placement bond (USPP) issuance.

Vital Healthcare Property Trust restructuring
Advised NorthWest Healthcare, the manager of Vital Healthcare Property Trust, on the restructuring and refinancing of its debt facilities.

Stride Property Group financing
Advised Stride on its corporate facilities to provide funding to its property funds, including Stride, Industre, Investore and Diversified.

Centuria NZ Healthcare Property Fund financing
Advised the lenders to Centuria in relation to the establishment of the Centuria NZ Healthcare Property Fund.

Transmission Gully public private partnership (PPP)
Advised NZ Transport Agency on the procurement of a new Road of National Significance, the NZ$850 million, 27 km long Transmission Gully Motorway, utilising a PPP model.

"Bell Gully has a very good reputation in the market, with an excellent client list. They have refreshed their finance practice recently, bringing on young, up-and-coming partners. Their asset finance expertise is market-leading."
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 - Tier 1

A client highlights the team for having "excellent practitioners with lots of experience", also pointing to its ability to provide "excellent pragmatic advice" and "extremely high service."
Chambers Asia Pacific 2022 - Band 1, IFLR1000 2023 - Tier 1

Banking and finance

Work highlights

Our experts

Latest banking and finance insights