Hannah Bain

Hannah Bain is a Special Counsel in Russell McVeagh's public law and litigation teams. Hannah leads Russell McVeagh's climate change offering, working together in a strategic alliance with Te Whakahaere climate change advisors to support clients in this increasingly important space. Hannah is also experienced across a wide range of contentious matters, with particular experience in complex commercial disputes in the infrastructure, energy, banking and financial services sectors, and with regulatory investigations.

Hannah's recent experience includes:

• Advising climate-reporting entities in relation to the climate-related disclosures regime, including in relation to the application of the regime under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, director obligations and potential liability, and climate-related governance.
• Advising clients in relation to matters arising under the emissions trading scheme and voluntary carbon market, including in relation to regulatory reform, synthetic greenhouse gases, and structures for the holding and trading of New Zealand Units.
• Providing director eduction and other training to boards and other client groups on climate change issues, including the climate-related disclosures regime and climate litigation.
• Contributed to the development of the climate change contractual clause bank led by New Zealand Green Investment Finance.
• ​Advising RBS in connection with its landmark shareholder rights issue litigation, following the near collapse and government bailout of the bank in October 2008.
• Advising a party in connection with disputes arising out of pricing clauses in a sale and purchase agreement.
• Acting for a renewables company in relation to a significant return of capital to its shareholders by way of court-approved scheme of arrangement.
• Advising a major UK bank in connection with a series of investigations arising out of a high profile fraud.
• Advising a UK retail bank in relation to a c£140m claim for breach of contract and misrepresentation in connection with lending facilities and interest rate hedging products.
• Assisting a UK financial institution in connection with a regulatory investigation relating to governance issues.
• Acting for an energy sector participant in an ongoing contentious contractual dispute regarding pricing in a supply agreement.