Kate is a highly experienced banking and finance lawyer who provides specialist advice to financiers, borrowers, and other market participants. Kate advises across a broad range of areas, from institutional finance to consumer finance.
Her clients include all of New Zealand’s major banks, a variety of listed and other major companies, investment banks, and other financial institutions. Clients value Kate’s combination of legal technical excellence and commercial understanding of their complex financing needs. This includes expertise in asset, corporate and acquisition finance, securitisation and receivables finance, derivatives, syndicated lending, and debt capital markets transactions.
Kate enjoys working with clients on critical and reputational matters, large and complex deals, and “New Zealand firsts” such as this country’s first environmental, social and governance (ESG) loan and its first social loan. She has a particular personal interest in ESG finance.
Kate also specialises in advising financial institutions on compliance and risk issues and achievement of good customer outcomes. She understands the complexities of bank systems and frameworks and has significant experience of managing change projects within the finance industry. This is informed by her deep understanding of New Zealand’s banking legislation and regulatory framework. Her expertise includes the Personal Properties Securities Act (PPSA), Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) (including the Responsible Lending Code), Fair Trading Act (FTA), Financial Markets Conduct Act (FMCA), Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act, and the Reserve Bank’s BS11 Outsourcing Policy.
Recognised in all key international directories as a leader in her field, Kate is considered a trusted adviser by clients. As one client says: “Kate Lane stands out as someone who has a real interest in understanding the commercial drivers behind any piece of work and is quickly able to combine that understanding with her obvious legal expertise to drive an efficient result. With any piece of work, Kate will always consider the broader legal implications for our business and flag these, making her a valuable adviser for our business.’ – The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022.
Kate was named as an IFLR1000 Women Leader for 2021 and 2022 and is the only New Zealander listed for banking and finance in the Expert Guides: Women in Business Law directory. In her role as an advisory board member to ArcAngels, a platform dedicated to connecting female entrepreneurs to investors, Kate is actively involved in promoting women and diversity in business.
She has international experience through five years in the banking and finance team at Clifford Chance in London.
Career highlights
Trusted adviser to MediaWorks including supporting it with a refinance of its loan facilities and various mergers and acquisitions including the merger with QMS Media.
Advising major banks on significant regulatory and compliance projects relating to their consumer lending (including home loans), including reviewing and modernising banks’ policies, processes, systems, and controls and providing extensive advice on complex compliance and risk matters.
Advising Tourism Holdings Limited (NZX:thl) on the banking and finance aspects of its entry into a Scheme Implementation Deed to merge with Apollo Tourism and Leisure Limited (ASX:ATL) through an Australian Scheme of Arrangement. This was the first takeover of an ASX listed company by a NZX listed company by way of a Scheme of Arrangement.
Advising a variety of banks and other financial institutions on their significant change projects as a result of the extension of the unfair contract terms regime in the Fair Trading Act 1986 to small business contracts - the most fundamental change to finance contracts in a generation.
Acting for Synlait Milk Limited and its related entities on its entry into an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) linked loan with ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited. This was the first ESG loan in New Zealand. Our role involved advising Synlait on the terms of the ESG arrangement and documenting the ESG mechanics.
Affiliations
- Advisory Board Member, ArcAngels Inc
- Member, Institute of Finance Professionals New Zealand Inc (INFINZ)
Achievements and recognition
- Recognised, Banking and Finance, Chambers Asia-Pacific
- Leading Individual, Banking and Finance, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific
- Highly Regarded, Banking and Finance, IFLR1000
- Women Leader, IFLR1000
- Recognised, Global Leader, Banking (Finance) and Transport (Aviation Finance), Who's Who Legal
- Recognised, National Leader, Banking and Aviation, Who's Who Legal: Australia and New Zealand
- Recognised, Banking and Finance Law, Best Lawyers
- Recognised, Project Finance and Development Practice, Best Lawyers
- Recognised, Structured Finance Law, Best Lawyers
- Recognised, Banking and Finance, Expert Guides: Women in Business Law
- Recognised, Banking and Finance, Expert Guides: Banking, Finance and Transactional Law directory
- Recognised, Structured Finance and Securitisation, Expert Guides: Banking, Finance and Transactional Law directory