Insights

The law can be complex, and it’s not always clear how it applies.

Our insights are designed to provide an overview of changes in legislation, an understanding of key regulatory issues, and recent case law relevant to our clients’ world.

Keep up to date with the insights that matter the most.

Recent Articles

Insight / General Business & SMEs

Navigating trade marks in business sales and purchases

Business sales and purchases (Transactions) are complex processes that involve a range of financial, legal and strategic considerations. One critical component that often gets overlooked in the whirlwind of high-stake Transactions, are the trade marks.

Insight / Relationship Property & Family

Supreme Court considers short marriages and nuptial settlements in Lassnig v Zhou

The Supreme Court’s latest judgment, Lassnig v Zhou [2025] NZSC 116, is the latest in a series of appellate decisions over the last 15 years that have reconstructed Section 182 of the Family Proceedings Act 1980. The first, Ward v Ward [2009] NZSC 125 restated s 182’s remedial purpose; Clayton v Clayton [2016] NZSC 30 provided the modern analytical framework; and Preston v Preston [2021] NZSC 154 recast that framework as a three-stage inquiry, testing its limits in the difficult territory of blended families, pre-existing trusts and short marriages.

Insight / Employment

Government announces significant changes to Holidays Act

The long-awaited announcement from the government about its review of the Holidays Act 2003 (the Act) has now been made. The existing Act is to be replaced with a new Employment Leave Act (the new Act), which will make significant changes to how leave is accrued and paid.

Insight / Residential & Rural Property + Asset Planning

Do I need a Will?

When it comes to Wills, people generally assume two things – firstly, you need a lot of assets to warrant making one. Secondly, when you die your assets and estate automatically passes to your partner and/or family. Neither of these assumptions are necessarily true.

Insight / Dispute Resolution

Submissions open for innovative proposed adjudication framework

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is consulting on a “world first” statutory adjudication framework aimed at providing businesses with a fast, efficient and cost-effective alternative to resolve disputes. Modelled on the adjudication framework under the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (CCA), the proposal would transform how civil commercial disputes are handled by implementing a prescribed statutory process.

Insight / General Business & SMEs

New Biometric Processing Privacy Code has implications for NZ businesses

Earlier this month, the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner introduced the Biometric Processing Privacy Code (Code). The Code is set to come into force on 3 November 2025, although businesses already undertaking biometric processing activities have until 3 August 2026 to comply.