David Craig

David specialises in banking and finance law and financial services regulation. He is recognised as New Zealand's leading derivatives lawyer.

​​​​​​​​​​​David advises on domestic and international banking and capital markets transactions and the regulation of financial products, services and markets in New Zealand. He specialises in advising on derivative transactions and their regulation.

His experience has included acting for both borrowers and lenders in transactions involving the provision of debt and equity finance to publicly listed companies, state-owned enterprises and statutory corporations. These transactions include club and syndicated loans, MTN and CP programmes, US private placements, private equity acquisitions, securitisations, capital note and hybrid capital instrument issues, and tax-effective structured financing.

David also advises banks, end-users and industry associations on swaps, futures and repos, including as the New Zealand counsel to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, the International Capital Market Association, and the Futures Industry Association, and acting for the New Zealand Bankers' Association in preparing documentation for the banking industry.

David acts for a range of participants in the New Zealand payment systems, including the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, trading banks, clearing and settlement systems, money remitters, and providers of e-commerce platforms. He also advises providers of digital asset services, such as operators of crypto exchanges and crypto asset firms, on the relevant New Zealand regulatory landscape.

David is ranked as a leading lawyer in banking and finance by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022. Clients consider David "extremely experienced and knowledgeable of the industry". In a previous edition, David was described by clients as "very professional and a subject matter expert in financial regulation". Clients also noted his "superb expertise and service" and described him as "one of the few people in the market who knows about derivatives".

Chambers Asia Pacific 2022 also ranks David as a leading lawyer in banking and finance, regarding him “as an established expert on capital markets and derivatives deals". In a previous edition, clients commented that “he is the person to talk to if you need an expert on derivatives."​

David was also named as a leading individual by the IFLR1000 2014 and 2013, with one client saying "he is absolutely first class in his approach and in terms of service delivery".​​​​

​He is on the Panel of Recognised International Market Experts in Finance (P.R.I.M.E. Finance), an institution based in The Hague.​​​