Service

Corporate and Commercial

Summary

Our corporate and commercial team has extensive experience helping companies, banks, investors, boards and individuals with their corporate and commercial issues. Whether it is understanding and managing your existing business and commercial risks, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), bringing on a new business partner, starting a new venture, or anything in between, we can provide the expertise necessary to help you achieve your unique business goals.

Our broad business understanding means legal risks are put into the correct context, and we use this expertise to provide the practical legal advice and support our clients need to get on with business or get a deal done. We're known for providing clear-cut and innovative solutions and creating deep and long-standing client relationships, continually acting for clients in the food and beverage, manufacturing and exporting, transport and logistics, agribusiness, retail, technology and automotive sectors.

Key services

Company law

Assisting clients to navigate the complex regulatory landscape of company law, ensuring that they comply with their statutory obligations and best practice, including advising on company formation and dissolution, corporate governance, director and shareholder issues (including share issues and transfers and distributions), and employee share schemes and incentive arrangements.

Commercial contracts

Drafting, negotiating and reviewing standard form, template or bespoke commercial contracts. We ensure contracts are clear, legally sound and reflect our client's interests and objectives. We advise on all kinds of contracts, including heads of agreement, terms of trade, service, supply and distribution contracts and technology and franchising arrangements.

Directors' duties and liabilities

Advising clients on directors' roles, risks and responsibilities under the Companies Act, together with appointment, indemnity and remuneration issues.

Constitutions and constitutional matters

Drafting, interpretation and amendment of constitutions and similar documents for companies and other entities.

Corporate structuring and restructuring

Advising clients on the appropriate form of, and changes to, their legal structure to achieve their business and commercial objectives.

Joint ventures

Drafting and negotiating commercial arrangements for joint ventures, including shareholder agreements and limited partnership agreements.

Commercial advisory

We advise on the legislation and regulation that impacts your business, including consumer and privacy regulation.

Capital raising

Advising clients on the structure, risks and terms and conditions of capital raising transactions.

Overseas investments

Advising New Zealand businesses looking to expand overseas, or international organisations and individuals setting up business in New Zealand, including Overseas Investment Act consents, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, structuring, joint ventures, intellectual property advice and supply and distribution arrangements.

Key people

Work Highlights

Advising MBIE, since 2014, in relation to the domestic and international procurement of petroleum reserves for the New Zealand Government.
Advising mineral sands and rare-earth element exporter WMS Group on significant procurement, international joint venture and capital raising matters
Investment funding arrangements for Clean Collective, a leading beverage brand, with World's Edge Investment Fund.
Advising Dairyworks on a range of domestic and international manufacturing, supply, distribution and IT arrangements.
Advising Groov on a groundbreaking multi-year wellbeing partnership with New Zealand Rugby involving the supply of Groov’s technology and wellbeing content across the entire New Zealand rugby ecosystem.
Acting on a complex, time critical, capital raise process for a leading NZ based global skincare business to provide funding for planned brand and overseas growth.
Advising on the expansion of MG Motor in New Zealand by automobile manufacturer SAIC Motor.
Advising Canadian based multinational Vela Software on Overseas Investment Act 2005 consent requirements in connection with the acquisition of New Zealand entity, Triquestra New Zealand Limited
Advising SKOPE on its key supply arrangement with customers like Asahi, BP and Z Energy.
Advising Workwear Group on its successful reappointment as supplier of uniforms and level 1 personal protective equipment to Fire and Emergency New Zealand.