The Banking and Financial Services division is market leading. We act for all New Zealand's major banks, all the leading insolvency practitioners and many other participants in the finance sector. Our expertise spans the whole sector from acquisition finance, debt capital markets and regulatory and insolvency matters.
The banking and financial services division continues to attract high profile work, such as advising a banking syndicate on Fisher & Paykel Appliances Group’s recent restructuring and equity raising, a major international financial institution in its application to become a registered bank in New Zealand and on the refinancing of Pike River Coal's debt facilities with banks and other financial institutions.
> Employment
The Employment division is currently the largest specialist employment law team in any firm in New Zealand. We act mainly for employers, in both the public and private sectors and our work includes defending personal grievance and dispute claims, restructuring and redundancy cases, collective bargaining, discipline and dismissal situations and drafting HR policies and employment agreements.
Recent work has included representing Hirequip Limited in its defence against (to date) the largest employee claim to be made in New Zealand, advising Pacific Brands Holdings (NZ) Limited (the maker of 'Jockey' branded underwear amongst other things) on the employment law aspects of the company exiting all local manufacturing in New Zealand and representing the Department of Corrections in legal proceedings brought by Corrections Association of New Zealand relating to the Department's proposals to "double-bunk" several of its prisons. We have also represented the Department in defending numerous claims brought by current and former employees in the employment institutions.
The corporate division continues to attract high profile and notable work, such as acting for Goldman Sachs JBWere in underwriting a share issue for SKYCITY, and the sale of Goldman Sach’s private wealth management business to NAB, advising Allied Farmers in acquiring the finance assets of Hanover Finance and United Finance and acting as legal advisers to Two Degrees Mobile Limited.
The team has also represented Shell in High Court proceedings, including the gas sales from the Maui field, and on investigation and clearance matters, assisted the New Zealand Rugby Union in renegotiating the Adidas sponsorship agreement – the largest sponsorship agreement in new Zealand and advised Phil & Teds Most Excellent Buggy Company Limited on its acquisition of the assets of Mountain Buggy Limited.
Our Real Estate division includes experts in the areas of commercial and residential property, construction, environment and resource planning, climate change and infrastructure.
The team advises clients on commercial property acquisitions, leasing and re-developments, including construction contracts and environmental issues, forestry purchases, Overseas Investment applications and green buildings (construction and leasing issues).
Maori land issues are an important consideration when dealing with real estate in New Zealand and our team is well versed and experienced in dealing with this complex area.
The real estate team has acted on several of the largest and most notable deals in New Zealand in recent years, such as advising Chelsea Sugar Refinery Limited on its strategic Auckland landholding, Westpac New Zealand Limited on the design, build and lease Agreement of “green” office space, Southern Cross Hospitals on its joint venture development and construction of hospitals throughout New Zealand and Two Degrees Mobile Limited with strategic advice including on process issues including councils, National Environmental Standard on telecommunications facilities in road reserves, as well as resource consent hearings.
> Dispute Resolution
Our Dispute Resolution team works with a diverse client base on all aspects of corporate and commercial disputes resolution including competition and regulatory law, securities, trade practices, insolvency and recovery, banking, construction and environmental law. A number of our lawyers are also LEADR trained mediators.
Our team has a track record of advising on some of the biggest cases in New Zealand, these include the recent receiverships of Kawarau Falls Station development in Queenstown, Whisper Cove beachside development, Line 7, Crafar Farms and the ABC early childhood learning companies.
