Key Takeaways and Next Steps for Businesses Using Contractor Models Recently, New Zealand’s Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision that four Uber drivers are employees (not independent contractors) under the…
What the Biometric Processing Privacy Code Means for Your Business As of 3 November 2025, the new rules regulating the use of biometric processes in New Zealand (the Biometric Processing…
Employment Leave Act NZ: Key Changes to Annual Leave, Sick Leave & Public Holidays New Zealand employers have long battled with the compliance headache that is the current Holidays Act…
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…
What you need to know about updating your constitution and meeting the deadline As most Incorporated Societies should be aware by now, a new legislative framework is in place for…
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…
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…
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…
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…
You might expect that your Will is your final say and that it would prevent any future family arguments. However, the reality is that your Will can be challenged. A…
Return of the trial period – common pitfalls and lessons learned Since trial periods were reintroduced to the employers’ toolkit in December 2023, we have noticed a wide spectrum of…
Climate Law Developments Against Corporate Entity Emissions Climate law continues to impact the domestic and international legal sphere. The recent decision to allow a tort-based case on the liability of…
Those involved with civil and commercial construction contracts will see the updated NZS3910:2023 General Conditions of Contract appearing in tenders coming to market. The new version is an evolution rather…
The question of whether someone is an employee, or a contractor, can have significant implications for both parties. This question has been hotly debated, and the Employment Relations Authority and…
After the Christchurch earthquake many insurance companies changed their house insurance policies from “full replacement” cover to “sum insured” amounts. This meant that if your house was damaged or destroyed,…
From today, eligible employees will receive an increase in the maximum weekly payment from $621.76 to $661.12 per week gross. The 6.33% increase is in line with the rise in…
Significant changes are being made in New Zealand workplaces to better protect whistleblowers. The Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 is set to replace the Protected Disclosures Act 2000…
This week the Employment Court handed down a landmark decision relating to three former members of the Gloriavale Christian community. While this case might seem extreme or unusual it is…
Perhaps you have a lawyer for a friend. Or, maybe your gym buddy’s friend’s cousin’s boyfriend’s aunt is a lawyer. It may be tempting to ask for free legal advice.…
It’s clear that New Zealand is in the depths of a housing crisis, with the lack of supply and new development in our main urban centres in particular. Many commentators…
No access in emergency clauses have been a hot topic for most landlords and tenants since NZ’s first level 4 lockdown last year. Clause 27.5 of the ADLS Deed of…
If you pass away and do not have a Will in place, this is called dying ‘intestate’. In this situation, the Administration Act 1969 comes into play and dictates how…
Have you and your partner entered into a Relationship Property Agreement? You might be surprised to find that your separate property may not be as secure from your partner as…
The recent case of The Estate of Thomas Winston Hodgson highlights changes under the new Trusts Act and what the Court will deem ‘reasonable measures’ when trying to find missing…
Many Tauranga residents have recently received a letter from Tauranga City Council informing them of Plan Change 27 and advising that their property is one impacted by the proposed Plan…
With the current economic climate of Covid-19, company Directors may question their business solvency and whether to continue trading in such circumstances. The recent Supreme Court decision of Madsen-Ries v…
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…
Why do we need a will? In basic terms, to document who you wish to provide for upon your death and how you’d like your assets to be distributed. Wills…
Employment mediations that had been scheduled to take place in March, April and May of this year, during Alert levels 4 and 3 were conducted by phone, rather than in…
If you are a landlord or tenant, the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act is sure to have an impact on your rights – it’s best to be aware of this impact…