Amanda is an experienced property and real estate lawyer. She advises on a broad range of property matters and specialises in complex real estate acquisitions and disposals including industrial and agri-assets, development, insolvency and restructuring, forestry, and property finance.
She acts for both public and private sector clients, including global real estate funds. Her clients include Credit Suisse, which Amanda has assisted in the acquisition of both its commercial office blocks in Wellington, and Deka, which owns a commercial office tower in Auckland.
Amanda enjoys working closely with clients to achieve their business goals and get deals done. She believes that property lawyers should understand and know their client’s wider business to be able to give the best property advice. Amanda’s advice is tailored for the client’s current and future needs. She loves working with iconic businesses like Fulton Hogan, Synlait Milk, and Metlifecare because they require technically excellent legal work with a strong commercial focus.
With a wealth of experience in commercial and residential developments, Amanda has acted on all sides of development deals including for developers, local authorities, and lenders. Her understanding of the key drivers for different stakeholders means she can anticipate and advise on the best solutions to any issues. Amanda has a particular interest in different property structures to make quality housing more accessible to all, such as build-to-rent and rent-to-buy, and in new technologies or ways of doing things, like crypto-conveyancing.
Amanda’s diverse commercial property practice means an in-depth knowledge of the ever-changing overseas investment regime is critical. She has been involved with multiple sensitive land applications for varied assets, including farmland and forestry, and has assisted with submissions for clients on the various recent changes to the governing legislation.
Amanda first cut her insolvency teeth on the sale of ABC Childcare before advising on the Crafar farms portfolio. She has enjoyed assisting with insolvency matters involving a property element ever since.
With more than 15 years’ experience in property law, Amanda is a skilled and precise legal practitioner who does not lose sight of the ultimate goal – providing clients with practical resolutions to time-critical, complex matters. She is valued by clients as a trusted adviser who “really listens” and is “knowledgeable, pragmatic, and all about solutions”.
Career highlights
Advising major national retirement village operator Metlifecare on its acquisitions and developments, including the purchase of six North Island sites from The Selwyn Foundation.
Assisting Auckland University of Technology on its state-of-the-art, mixed-use inner-city student accommodation development, including advising on all aspects of the development, lease and services agreements.
Advising listed company Synlait Milk Limited on the divestment and lease of its high-tech canning facility in South Auckland, including preparing a bespoke triple-net lease tailored to Synlait’s specific needs for ongoing operations.
Advising a major global property group on investing in New Zealand's forestry regime. Advised on all aspects of the legal regime as it relates to forestry including overseas investment, the planning and environmental regulatory framework, the property acquisitions regime and New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and acting on its first foray into New Zealand forestry.
Assisting various clients on lease disputes as a result of the Government’s “stay at home” orders in response to the global pandemic. This included advising Waitemata District Health Board on the property aspects of its vaccination centre and making submissions in relation to the Government’s change to the Property Law Act to require landlords to give relief to tenants unable to access their premises.
Affiliations
- Member, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Property Council New Zealand (PCNZ)
Achievements and recognition
- Tier 1 team, Real Estate, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific