Building Momentum This Year
A year of contrast and momentum, marked by strategic growth, client success and cautious optimism as we look ahead to continued opportunity, confidence and investment in 2026
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Corporate / Commercial
Tariff cease-fire: a breather for New Zealand exporters – but no time to relax.
Since our last update on US tariffs, there have been several significant developments unfold in the global trade landscape. Here is where things currently stand for New Zealand exporters. New…
US Tariffs: Keep Calm, Carry On
There’s been a lot of justified noise around the recent US tariff announcements. Global share markets have seen considerable volatility due to the resulting uncertainty, and exporters around the world…
Financial Markets Authority submissions: clarifying the use of Eligible Investor Certificates
Eligible Investor Certificates: High Court Submissions and Key Implications In recent submissions made to the High Court, the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has sought clarification on when eligible investor certificates…
Competition Law Review: Submissions on the Commerce Act 1986
Modernising Competition Law: Our Take on the Commerce Act Review The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has recently called for submissions as part of its review of the…
Court of Appeal decision: what happens when builders go bankrupt and leave homes unfinished?
In a recent case, the New Zealand Court of Appeal in Francis v Gross made an important decision about what happens when buyers of unfinished homes – called “pods” or…
Key takeaways from recent ‘reckless trading’ judgement
Insights on reckless trading and director liability: a recent High Court case A recent High Court judgment has shone the light on the ability of creditors to claim against company…
Sharp Tudhope welcomes Special Counsel Tanya Drummond
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Tanya Drummond as Special Counsel, a strategic addition to our Corporate and Commercial team. Tanya joins the firm from Cooney Lees Morgan,…
A Necessary Evolution: Government to Review the Companies Act 1993
This post was originally published on LinkedIn as an opinion piece by Richard Hoare. The government is launching a review of the Companies Act 1993. While the Act has been…
Transforming regions: Funding Opportunities with the new Regional Infrastructure Fund
The new $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) is open for applications. The RIF aims to improve New Zealand’s economy by investing in both new and existing infrastructure projects focused…
Changes to the Fair Trading Act 1986
The Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021 has recently extended and introduced new protections against unfair commercial practices which are important for many businesses to consider whether changes to their standard…
New Purchase Price Allocation Rules – What You Need To Know
As of 1 April 2021, new rules will govern the allocation of the purchase price for a business sale and purchase. For context, the current rules allow vendors and purchasers…
Are You Ready For The Privacy Act 2020?
The swift advancements in the information technology space in the last couple of decades have rendered the Privacy Act 1993 outdated and not fit to effectively regulate the current ways…
Eastern Bay Community To Get Lasting Benefits From Investment In Blue Water Mussel Farm Project
Sharp Tudhope are pleased to have assisted our client Whakatōhea Mussels (Ōpōtiki) Limited (WMOL) to raise funds to expand their blue water mussel farm and build a processing factory at…
Richard, A Rising Star In 2020
Sharp Tudhope are delighted to congratulate commercial partner, Richard Hoare on being named as one of NZ Lawyer Magazine’s Rising Stars for 2020. The Rising Stars 2020 list celebrates young…
Do You Have An Asbestos Management Plan In Place?
If you’re are a commercial landlord, the requirement to have an Asbestos Management Plan in place may have slipped under your radar. New legislation was introduced on 4 April 2016…
Why You Should Take Privacy & Your Customer Data Seriously
This article is co authored by Jodi Ellmers and Jessie McKenzie. Our smart phones, smart homes and smart cars allow companies to track and analyse our behaviour all the time.…
Is Due Diligence A Case Of Seller Beware Or Buyer Beware?
This article is co-authored by Ryan McMaster and Jessie McKenzie. When buying property or a business, purchasers rely heavily on vendors to provide accurate due diligence information to verify the…
Deal Fatigue Is Real, Plan For It
Negotiating and completing a business transaction, whether buying, selling or recording a commercial arrangement can be anything but a simple and speedy process. As energetic as you may be at…
Sharp Tudhope Proves M&A Capability
We recently completed a significant deal for one of our valued clients. This deal means that, since mid-2017, we have advised on six mid-market M&A transactions with an aggregate deal…
Earn-out Or Burn-out?
This article is co-authored by Ryan McMaster and Richard Hoare. The recent Court of Appeal decision of Malthouse Ltd v Rangatira Ltd [2018] NZCA 621 serves to highlight the risks…
Australian Insolvency Reforms To Impact On New Zealand Businesses
This article is co-authored by Richard Hoare and Ryan McMaster and includes input from our friends at Australian Law firm, Sierra Legal. Sierra Legal was a 2018 Australasian Law Awards…
Blockchain Part 2 – Smart Contracts Explained
This blog is the second part of an ongoing series exploring the impact of Blockchain on the law. Click here to read part one which addresses the basics of Blockchain…
Company Law – Signing Up As A Company Prior To Incorporation
On occasion, people sign documents in the name of or on behalf of a company that does not exist, but with the intent to form that company in the very…
Penalty Payments Under Contracts
Anybody who enters into contracts as part of a construction contract will be familiar with the idea of “liquidated damages”. These clauses outline the amount of money which is payable…