Paul Farrugia

Profile

Paul specialises in banking and finance law and has a broad range of experience in domestic and cross-border financings with an emphasis on leveraged and acquisition finance (including uni-tranche funding by non-bank financiers), syndicated lending and debt restructuring and workouts. Paul also has extensive experience advising senior and mezzanine funders in the property (incl. development) finance and agriculture sectors.

Paul heads Buddle Findlay's banking and financial services team and is a member of the firm's Board of Management.

Prior to joining Buddle Findlay, Paul worked in the global loans and leveraged finance teams at Allen & Overy in London.

Market recognition

Paul Farrugia is Buddle Findlay's banking and finance practice head and frequently acts for major banks and lender syndicates on a variety of complex domestic and cross-border financing transactions, including debt facilities and refinancings. ''Paul has a great understanding of our business and strategy.' - Chambers Asia-Pacific

"Paul Farrugia has built up a lot of experience and industry knowledge in the health sector and I consider him the most capable banking lawyer in this sector throughout New Zealand. Paul has acted for me on several high profile transactions in the health sector and has proven his worth to the bank countless times." - IFLR1000

A client emphasises: "I have full confidence in Paul and would say he is very commercial in his approach and brings a lot of deal and market knowledge." - Chambers Asia-Pacific

Paul is listed as a 'leading partner/individual' by Legal 500 and Chambers, and 'highly regarded' by IFLR1000 for banking and finance

Awarded Best Lawyer and overall Best Professional at the beaton 2021 Client Choice Awards

Winner of Lawyer of the Year: New Zealand - asialaw Awards 2020

Work highlights

Global loans

Advising the arrangers and finance parties in relation to the arrangement and syndication of the new three-year, unsecured revolving credit facility for Air New Zealand
Advising Mandated Lead Arranger (Goldman Sachs) and the syndicate of lenders on AUB Group‘s $850m syndicated refinancing
Advising the respective lenders in their funding of the Eastland Group and the Eastland Generation groups of companies
Advising various lenders in their respective funding to entities within the FirstCape group
Advising the syndicate of lenders to the Turners Automotive Group.

Leveraged and acquisition finance

Advising the lenders to the Brookfield – GIC consortium in the funding of the acquisition by scheme of arrangement of ASX listed National Storage REIT
Advising the lenders to Stonepeak in relation to its entry into a scheme of arrangement to acquire Arvida
Advising the lender in its funding of Direct Capital's investment in the Wet & Forget Group
Advising Bank of New Zealand in its funding of Direct Capital's acquisition of the Hiway Stabilizers group
Advising the lender to private equity firm Castlerock in the acquisition of a majority stake in New Plymouth based HQ Travel Group
Advising the finance parties on the funding of NZ Healthcare Investments' acquisition of Healthscope’s NZ pathology business Asia Pacific Health Group.

Property finance

Advising CBA and UOB on their $290m syndicated funding of the Precinct Properties and Keppel joint venture in its construction of the largest student accommodation facility in New Zealand
Advising the finance parties in respect of syndicated facilities made available to a long-term joint venture between Tainui Group Holdings and global investment firm Brookfield Asset Management
Advising the syndicate of lenders to the developer of Wynyard Central in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter and Catalina Bay, Hobsonville
Advising the lender to Mt Cardrona Station's $650m alpine village development
Advising lenders to Conrad Group in relation to multiple residential housing developments
Advising Bank of New Zealand in its green loan funding of Precinct Properties' development of a new 6-star green seismically resilient commercial office building
Advising Bank of New Zealand in its funding of the Precinct Properties and PAG joint ventures with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to acquire commercial offices buildings
Advising Bank of New Zealand by way of pro bono legal support as it worked with Ngāti Whātua Orākei to enable hapū members to secure a BNZ home loan for papakāinga housing.

Retirement villages

Advising the syndicate of lenders on the acquisition and ongoing funding of the Arvida Group of companies
Advising the syndicate of lenders to the Qestral Retirement Village Group of companies
Advising the lender to the Heritage Lifecare Resthome and Retirement Village Group of companies
Advising the lender to the Real Living Retirement Village Group of companies
Advising the lender to certain Generus Living Retirement Villages.

Hotel financing

Advising the finance parties in their funding of Brookfield's 2026 acquisition of the Rydges Wellington Hotel and the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel

Advising the syndicate of lenders in relation to the financing of Pro-Invest's voco and Holiday Inn Hotels in Auckland CBD
Advising RF Corval in its acquisition and development of the Sherwood Hotel Queenstown
Advising the syndicate in its funding of the $300m Hotel Portfolio co-investment between Russell Group, NZ Super and Lockwood Property
Advising the Lender to the joint venture owners (Tainui Group Holdings and Auckland Airport) of the Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel and Novotel Auckland Airport Hotel
Advising the Lender to the Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. in its acquisition of a portfolio of Ibis and Novotel Hotels across New Zealand.

Experience

Sector/Expertise

International

Alternate contacts