Asia-Pacific Guide 2026 : New Zealand
Ranked Individuals
Provided by Simpson Grierson
Changing regulations, new entrants and new technologies are reshaping the financial sector in New Zealand.
Our specialist lawyers work with businesses across the sector, providing informed advice that helps them successfully complete financing transactions.
Our clients include major banks, non-bank lenders and deposit takers, sponsors, local and international fintech companies, listed companies, central and local government bodies, and corporates.
We advise on all types of lending transactions, including business, trade, acquisition, project, property, and asset financing, as well as debt and hybrid securities and structured finance (banking, finance, tax, and capital markets all in one).
Our team also includes specialist financial restructuring and insolvency lawyers, who advise on complex debt restructurings, corporate collapses, receiverships, liquidations, and cross-border insolvencies.
Our banking and finance lawyers work closely with our corporate, litigation and tax specialists to advise on significant transactions and regulatory and compliance issues.
Provided by Chambers
Simpson Grierson offers a broad banking and finance practice with particular expertise in property financing for funds and developers, as well as asset, leveraged and acquisition financing. The law firm offers notable capability in debt restructuring and is experienced in acting for government entities. Clients include Asia-based banks, including large Chinese lenders, as well as institutional New Zealand banks.
Provided by Chambers
Simpson Grierson advised water and wastewater services provider Watercare on its financial separation from Auckland Council as part of a nationwide water management reform programme.
Provided by Chambers
Simpson Grierson's strength is to understand our commercial drivers and then to simplify the legal approach to accommodate.
The Simpson Grierson team is extremely responsive and very client-focused.
Provided by Chambers
Andrew Harkness is Simpson Grierson's managing partner. He frequently acts for lenders on substantial acquisition finance matters and has notable experience in debt capital market transactions.
Josh Cairns has a versatile practice acting for government bodies on innovative financing matters. He also counsels banking and non-banking clients on high value debt restructurings.
Josh Cairns had a strong awareness of the commercial outcomes we were looking to achieve and understood the financing structure required to achieve them.
His market knowledge is strong and he's well connected in the Wellington market.
Stuart Evans regularly assists banks with significant acquisition and property finance matters.
I could not speak more highly of the service Stuart and his team offered on what was a very bespoke and complex transaction.
Stuart is extremely competent and we trust him with our matters.
Dominic Toomey is recognised for advising both borrowers and lenders on matters including acquisition finance, syndicated lending and project finance.
Dominic has a great ability to ask the right questions and come up with pragmatic solutions for often complex new structures and problems.
Working with Dom has been extremely good. He is very helpful, has a great knowledge of issues and provides plenty of comfort through his confident approach on all matters.
Banking & Finance
Head of Banking & Finance
Banking & Finance
Banking & Finance
Provided by Simpson Grierson
Dominic Toomey
View profile of Dominic ToomeyAndrew Harkness
View profile of Andrew HarknessStuart Evans
View profile of Stuart Evans
Chambers is the leading data and intelligence partner for the legal sector.
