Steven Catanzariti
Steven is a structured finance, private credit and asset finance specialist advising funds, private credit providers, banks, alternative lenders and borrowers across the Asia Pacific region on their most complex transactions.
Steven advises across the full spectrum of asset, aviation, private credit, funds financing and structured finance transactions, including:
- Private credit and structured debt: highly structured debt and structured financing transactions, private credit investments, and asset-based lending (including receivables financing and inventory financing) for both lenders, private credit funds and borrowers.
- Funds financing: fund and asset-level debt, including NAV facilities and subscription line transactions.
- Corporate and syndicated finance: secured and unsecured bilateral and syndicated financings, trade and commodity finance, and sustainability-linked and green loans.
- Aviation and asset finance: domestic and cross-border lease financings and operating leases of aircraft, rolling stock, yellow goods and related equipment, acting for lessees, lessors, equity participants and financiers across jurisdictions including Australia, Ireland, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and the United States.
Clients describe Steven as a responsive, hands-on partner who stays close to the transaction particularly when deals are being negotiated against tight timelines or across time zones. Steven is regarded as highly commercial, pragmatic and responsive, with one client commenting: "Steven is commercial but is also willing to talk through legal issues. He’s thorough, clear and kept the pressure on to move things forward… he does a fantastic job".
Steven is highly regarded in the Australian finance market and is recognised as a Next Generation Lawyer (Banking and Finance – Australia) by Legal 500 and named in Best Lawyers for Aviation Law and Equipment Finance Law.
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
- numerous domestic and offshore lessors and lenders in connection asset leasing and debt platforms across Asia Pacific, spanning multiple asset classes including EVs, data centre technology, logistics equipment, motor vehicles and yellow goods
- Bain on its A$3.5 billion acquisition of Virgin Australia Group
- Virgin Australia on all aspects of its fleet financing over a 20-year period, including most recently on a US$410 million syndicated term loan facility to support the acquisition of nine new Boeing 737-8 aircraft from The Boeing Company
- Allegro Funds on all financing aspects of its acquisition of Toll Global Express, which involved four separate financing facilities secured against different asset classes across different segments of the business (including receivables financing)
- BIS Industries in connection with acquisition, financing, refinancing and leasing arrangements in respect of its equipment fleet
- various airlines, lessor and lenders on the debt financing and operating leasing of more than 200 aircraft, including all aspects of their pre-delivery financing
- an Australian Bank in connection with the development of its green lease product
- APA Group in connection with its corporate and project specific bilateral and syndicated debt financing arrangements
- a range of Australian and offshore financiers and borrowers on various secured and unsecured group financing arrangements across the region
Background
Steven holds Bachelor degrees in Business and Laws from the University of Technology Sydney, and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney. He is admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales.
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