Nathaniel Walker

Nathaniel's practice spans all aspects of commercial litigation and dispute resolution, with a particular focus on financial services regulation, trusts and equity, consumer law, and disputes with a cross-border dimension. He has significant experience in regulatory investigations, and also regularly provides compliance, law reform and other pre-litigation advice. 

Nathaniel rejoined Russell McVeagh in 2017, having spent more than two years in New York practising at one of Wall Street's most prestigious firms, Cravath, Swaine and Moore LLP, as well as completing his Master of Laws at Columbia and undertaking research into white-collar crime with a leading scholar in the field. 

At Cravath, Nathaniel focused on complex securities claims, acting for a global financial institution. His career, however, displays the characteristic breadth of an experienced and versatile New Zealand litigator. In that regard, he has acted for both public and private sector clients in a range of statutory, regulatory and contractual disputes, including human rights litigation. Nathaniel also has notable expertise in private international law.

Nathaniel draws on his international and local experience to provide pragmatic, adaptable solutions that respond to his clients' business needs. His recent experience includes acting for:

• A global financial institution to protest the jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts in relation to various equitable claims brought against it.
• Institutional clients in investigations by New Zealand and New York regulators on a number of information requests and investigations, including anti-money laundering compliance, disclosure and conduct issues.  
• Kiwibank on the bank fees class action litigation brought against it by Fair Play on Fees.
• Jean and Allan Hubbard in relation to issues arising from the imposition of statutory management and related litigation.
• Kiwibank in E-Trans International Finance Ltd v Kiwibank, a contract and competition law challenge to the closure of bank accounts.
• A global financial institution on a series of proceedings brought by public and private sector actors concerning alleged misrepresentations in the sale of securities (claims under federal and state securities laws and consumer protection statutes, and for common law fraud, mistake and misrepresentation).
• Lecretia Seales in her application testing the legality of aid in dying services.

LLB (Hons, First Class), BA, University of Otago.

LLM (James Kent Scholar), Columbia University.

Nathaniel was admitted to practise in New Zealand in 2011 and New York in 2017.