NRF Australia managing partner Wayne Spanner welcomed Rayner to the firm, saying, “[Rayner] is an outstanding lawyer with a unique combination of top-tier banking practice experience and an international financing pedigree.

“His ability to manage large complex projects and cross-border teams makes him an ideal fit for us." 

Rayner will join the firm as a partner in the Brisbane office on 3 November.

He has previously worked with Minter Ellison in Brisbane, Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons) in Sydney, and Allen & Overy in Hong Kong.

Rayner also held in-house positions with global banks Société Générale (Hong Kong and London) and HSBC (Hong Kong).

His practice focuses on aviation finance, asset finance, structured finance, debt capital markets, general banking and finance and derivatives.

“I very much look forward to joining [NRF’s] dynamic and growing banking and finance team in Australia,” said Rayner, who is the fifth lateral banking partner hire at NRF in Australia in the past two years.

NRF recently lost two partners: banking specialist Craig Chapman to Gadens and M&A partner Robert Milbourne to K&L Gates.

However, the firm has also had its share of lateral hires, poaching Clayton Utz construction partner Helene Lee, Gadens insurance partner Ray Giblett and Clayton Utz energy and resources partner Keira Brennan earlier this year.