Adrianne Reid

Senior Associate Pouarataki Pāhake

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Adrianne has more than 10 years’ experience specialising in public law and banking and financial services. She advises public sector organisations on commercial undertakings, crisis management, and structuring matters. She also assists lenders and borrowers with a range of banking and finance transactions.

With an excellent understanding of the machinery of government, Adrianne knows how to deliver on commercial and policy initiatives. This insight has been gained from numerous public sector secondments, including in the offices of the Minister of Finance and the Minister for State Owned Enterprises, the Treasury, and with New Zealand Green Investment Finance. Adrianne also acts as external counsel for public sector clients, including the Treasury and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

She advises on the establishment and disestablishment of public sector organisations, the application of the Crown Entities Act and the State-Owned Enterprises Act, and Public Finance Act matters. She reviews and comments on draft legislation, advises on public law process issues, and drafts agreements to give effect to policy and commercial proposals. She also prepares advice for Ministers and considers and responds to Overseas Investment Act (OIA) requests and media queries.

Adrianne has a separate banking and financial services practice. She is experienced in transactions relating to general corporate financing, property and construction financing, asset finance, receivables finance, and project finance. She advises on personal property securities (PPSA) issues, debt restructuring transactions and recoveries, enforcement, and insolvency issues. She has a particular interest in the financing of energy projects, including structuring arrangements to optimise bankability.

She acts for major New Zealand banks, the NZBA, specialist financiers, large corporate borrowers, the Crown, and receivers.

Valued by clients for her responsiveness and pragmatism, Adrianne works with her clients to understand and meet their needs. Her experience advising boards and Ministers allows her to provide succinct and easily digestible legal advice, even when the issues are complex. Drawing on both her in-house secondments and her experience as external counsel, Adrianne brings a valuable and pragmatic perspective on the intersection of public law, corporate law, and political considerations.

Career highlights

Assisting New Zealand Green Investment Finance Limited (NZGIF), the green investment bank established by the Government to accelerate investment to enable New Zealand’s low carbon future, with its debt and equity investment transactions. This included a combined debt and equity investment in low emissions vehicle advisory and financing business, Carbn Group, and facilities provided to ‘solar-as-a-service’ provider solarZero for its residential, commercial, and public sector initiatives.

Appointed by The Treasury to assist with the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme (BFGS), a key component of the Government’s COVID-19 support package. The BFGS provides for up to $6.25 billion of Government supported loans to be made by participating banks and was implemented following negotiation with New Zealand’s major trading banks in a matter of weeks during the 2020 Level 4 lockdown.

Acting as key legal adviser to The Treasury on this high profile and highly sensitive matter relating to the Tiwai smelter, a significant regional employer with material impacts on New Zealand’s electricity infrastructure. We provided advice on options for structuring any potential deals, the commercial terms of potential deals, negotiating with the owners, and Government’s rights regarding environmental remediation.

Advising the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and The Treasury on the Government’s funding of NZ Post. This took the form of a $130 million services contract to support the continued provision of mail services in the face of a changing mail environment, and an equity injection of up to $150 million to strengthen NZ Post’s position in response to COVID-19.

Representing TAB New Zealand in negotiations with The Treasury and the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). TAB New Zealand sought financial support from the Crown due to the impacts of COVID-19 on its business. Successfully agreed and documented a $50 million financial support agreement which allowed TAB New Zealand to continue to operate.

Acting as primary legal adviser regarding the design and structure of Kāinga Ora’s progressive home ownership scheme, as well as its funding arrangements with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

Affiliations
  • Member, Banking and Financial Services Law Association (BFSLA)
Achievements and recognition
  • Band 1 team, Public Law, Chambers Asia-Pacific
  • Tier 1 team, Banking and Finance , The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific