Chris O'Brien > MinterEllisonRuddWatts > Wellington, New Zealand > Lawyer Profile

MinterEllisonRuddWatts Offices

MinterEllisonRuddWatts
BNZ Place,
1 Whitmore Street
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Visit website 64 4 498 5000 64 4 498 5001

Chris O'Brien

Chris O'Brien photo
+64 4 498 5133 chris.o'[email protected] View profile

Work Department

Banking and Finance

Position

Partner

Career

Chris is an established banking and financial services expert with significant public law experience. He advises banks, major corporates, trustee companies, and Crown departments/entities on corporate finance transactions, regulatory and governance issues, and financing and restructuring matters.

Recognised in leading legal directories for his banking and finance expertise, Chris specialises in financing transactions, including syndicated, project finance, acquisition and working capital facilities, and retail debt offers. He advises and assists major corporates with the introduction of new corporate lenders and has acted on the establishment of, and transactional matters for, a number of funds.

Chris has advised on a number of securitisation structures, including for banks, non-deposit taking lenders, impact investors, and trustees. He has also advised on numerous lease and concession transactions involving a wide range of asset classes and infrastructure projects, including cross-border leveraged leases and Public Private Partnerships and involving central and local government entities as the counterparty.

Adept at working on large scale, multi-disciplinary projects, Chris regularly leads teams on significant banking transactions. In recent years, he has been the lead adviser to the New Zealand Government on several complex and high-profile transactions including the restructure and liquidation of Solid Energy and matters arising from the New Zealand Government’s commitment to rebuilding Christchurch’s three waters infrastructure and building the civic Anchor Projects.

Languages

English

Education

LLM (Merit), University College of London

BA, LLB, University of Otago

Lawyer Rankings

New Zealand > Banking and finance

(Leading partners)

Chris O’Brien –MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Assisting trading banks, government bodies, investment firms and private credit funds, MinterEllisonRuddWatts is experienced across the banking and finance space, with particular knowledge in senior and mezzanine loan facility matters. The firm has further expertise in compliance and restructuring matters. Jeremy Muir and acquisition financing expert Steve Gallaugher are the firm’s practice heads. Within the team, Kate Lane advises banks on the redrafting of their loan documents. Chris O’Brien is experienced in securitisation matters. Simon Gray adds project finance expertise. Allison Hancock, who was promoted to partner in January 2024, advises clients on sustainable finance matters.

Lawyer Rankings

Top Tier Firm Rankings

Firm Rankings