Cygnus Law - Financial Services, Capital Markets & Corporate Advisory Firm

Cygnus Law is a New Zealand-based boutique law firm specialising in financial services, capital raising and commercial & corporate advisory. Led by Director Simon Papa, the team provides pragmatic advice across regulatory compliance, licensing, AML/CFT regimes, disclosure obligations and regulator engagement for a wide range of financial services providers and issuers of financial products. Clients include financial advisers, aggregators, investment platforms, fund managers, custodians, brokers, non-bank deposit takers, derivatives issuers and equity crowdfunding and P2P lending service providers, as well as entities operating in the virtual assets and payments space.

The firm assists with capital raising, including funds, contributory mortgages, limited partnerships and debt securities, start-up and later stage rounds, and equity crowdfunding campaigns. It drafts and negotiates investor agreements, SIPOs, trust deeds, limited partnership agreements and other capital-raising documents, and helps with licensing applications and practical compliance policies. Cygnus also advises on commercial and company matters—commercial agreements, governance, shareholding structures, restructurings, buy-sell scenarios and mergers and acquisitions—alongside board and constitutional matters. Across practice areas, the firm emphasises regulator updates, due diligence and dispute-resolution support. It has strong focus on fintech, digital assets and open banking, with advice on custodian obligations and consumer protection.