Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre was rocked with joyful cheers on a massive night
Last night, the cheers rang out and the celebration was loud for the biggest event in New Zealand’s legal profession: the crowning of the winners of the 2024 NZ Law Awards.
The Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland played host to a star-studded gala ceremony hosted by Urzila Carlson. Members of the legal profession showed up in their finest wear looking to end the year with a trophy – and to dance the night away to the sound of The Hipstamatics.
As the evening progressed, one by one, the victors across 24 categories were announced. Event partner LEAP Legal Software celebrated the leading Mid-Size Law Firm of the Year, while event sponsor Robert Walters toasted the Large Law Firm of the Year.
Realaml raised its glass to this year’s Employer of Choice (>100 Lawyers), while Fluid Legal Recruitment cheered this year’s Employer of Choice (<100 Lawyers). LexisNexis recognised the Boutique Law Firm of the Year.
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway clapped for the Property & Construction Specialist Law Firm of the Year. Chisholm Clarke recognised the Young Private Practice of the Year (35 Or Under). Russell McVeagh honoured the In-house Team of the Year, and James & Wells saw the crowning of the In-house Lawyer of the Year.
The Excellence Awardees also got their figurative flowers for highlighting the strength of the legal profession in 2024.
The list of winners and excellence awardees is as follows:
WINNER
Issuance of NZ$1.1 billion inaugural sustainable financing bonds by New Zealand LGFA
Organisations involved: Russell McVeagh (legal adviser to LGFA); Banks: ANZ, BNZ and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (acting as Joint Lead Managers), Westpac (acting as Sustainability Coordinator, Arranger and Joint Lead Manager)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Funding for construction of Moa Point, Wellington Wastewater Minimisation Facility
Organisations involved: Bell Gully (primary legal adviser to Crown Infrastructure Partners), Buddle Findlay (Counsel for the Lenders), Chapman Tripp (Counsel for WCC), Deloitte (tax and accounting advisor to Crown Infrastructure Partners), Simpson Grierson (Counsel for the Crown)
NZ$650 million pool asset-backed securitisation by UDC Finance
Organisations involved: Chapman Tripp (advising the Arranger and Dealers), Dentons Kensington Swan (advising the Trustee), Russell McVeagh (legal adviser to UDC Finance); Banks: ANZ (Joint Lead Manager, Swap Contemporary), BNZ (Arranger, Joint Lead Manager, Swap Counterparty), Societe Generale (Joint Lead Manager)
WINNER
Sale of 7 percent stake in Auckland Airport by the Auckland Council
Organisations involved: Baker McKenzie, Flagstaff Partners, Simpson Grierson (legal adviser to Auckland Council), UBS New Zealand
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Capital raise and takeover defence of EROAD
Organisations involved: Allens, Chapman Tripp (adviser to EROAD), Rimon Law, Russell McVeagh
Equity capital market raising for Infratil
Organisations involved: Baker McKenzie, Barrenjoey, Chapman Tripp (legal Counsel to Infratil), Forsyth Barr, Simpson Grierson (legal advisor to underwriters), Sidley Austin, UBS
Establishment of Bay of Plenty Housing Equity Fund (BOPHEF)
Organisations involved: Brightlight GP NZ (Fund Manager), Chapman Tripp (Fund Manager advisor), Deloitte (tax advisor to the fund manager), Holland Beckett, New Ground Capital (Fund Manager), Sharp Tudhope (advisor to the Bay of Plenty Housing Equity Fund’s founding shareholders/equity investors)
WINNER
Financing of Connexa’s acquisition of 2degrees’ mobile cell tower assets
Organisations involved: Chapman Tripp (advising Connexa), Russell McVeagh (lead counsel to a syndicate of five offshore mandated lead arrangers), Webb Henderson (advising Spark – Connexa shareholder); Financial Advisor: Bank of America
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Development and project financing of 63 MW Lauriston solar farm by Genesis Energy and FRV Australia
Organisations involved: Chapman Tripp (advising the lenders), Russell McVeagh (lead legal adviser to Genesis Energy and FRV Australia), White & Case (advising the lenders); Banks: BNZ Bank and MUFG Bank (project financing)
Funding for construction of Moa Point, Wellington Wastewater Minimisation Facility
Organisations involved: Bell Gully (primary legal adviser to Crown Infrastructure Partners), Buddle Findlay (Counsel for the Lenders), Chapman Tripp (Counsel for WCC), Simpson Grierson (Counsel for the Crown)
Social housing project of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei
Organisations involved: Buddle Findlay (for BNZ), Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh (lead legal adviser to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa), Simpson Grierson (for Westpac); Banks: Bank of New Zealand, Westpac New Zealand
WINNER
Acquisition of Fonterra’s Soprole dairy business by Gloria Foods
Organisations involved: MinterEllisonRuddWatts (adviser to Fonterra), Simpson Grierson (New Zealand legal counsel to Gloria Foods); Cariola Díez Pérez-Cotapos (Chilean legal advisers to Fonterra), Claro & Cia (Chilean legal advisers to Gloria Foods), Conyers (Bermudan legal advisers to Fonterra), Sapag & Gonzalez (Chilean tax advisors to Fonterra); Investment bankers: JP Morgan (Investment bankers to Fonterra), Tyndall Group (Investment bankers to Gloria Foods)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Acquisition of 50 percent of Vector’s metering business by QIC
Organisations involved: Chapman Tripp (Legal Counsel to Vector), Harmos Horton Lusk (adviser to Vector on its joint venture and governance arrangements for Vector Metering), Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons, Russell McVeagh (Lead legal advisers to QIC), Vector’s in house legal team; Banks: Barrenjoey (for Vector), Citi, JP Morgan, Craigs Investment Partners (for QIC)
Acquisition of a controlling interest in One NZ by Infratil
Organisations involved: Bell Gully (primary legal adviser to Brookfield Asset Management); Buddle Findlay (legal adviser to Infratil – purchaser)
Acquisition of Pushpay by BGH Capital and Sixth Street consortium
Organisations involved: Bell Gully (primary legal adviser to the bidder), Buddle Findlay (legal counsel to Sixth Street), Harmos Horton Lusk (adviser to Pushpay)
NZ$1.4 billion acquisition of HSBC’s New Zealand prime residential mortgage portfolio by Pepper Money
Organisations involved: Bell Gully, Chapman Tripp (Legal Counsel for Pepper Money), King & Wood Mallesons, Norton Rose Fulbright
WINNER
Receivership of Treasure Plus
Organisations involved: Buddle Findlay (for the guarantor) and Dyer Whitechurch (for the borrower), Chapman Tripp (legal Counsel); Receivers: Calibre Partners; Voluntary Administrators: Baker Tilly Staples Rodway
EXCELLENCE AWARDEE
Receivership of Opum Technologies
Organisations involved: Baker Tilly Staples Rodway, Chapman Tripp (legal Counsel), James & Wells, Leeder Law
WINNER
Acquisition of Morrison & Co’s NZ infrastructure assets by Amber Infrastructure Group
Organisations involved: Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh (lead adviser to International Public Partnerships and their advisor Amber Infrastructure Group)
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Acquisition of 50 percent stake in GreenPower New Zealand by Energy Marlborough
Organisations involved: Simpson Grierson (legal advisor to the purchaser), Duncan Cotterill
Acquisition of Pinnacle Corporation by Qube Holdings
Organisations involved: MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Simpson Grierson (legal advisor to purchaser)
Acquisition of Totara Learning by Tenzing
Organisations involved: Deloitte NZ (and UK) (tax advisor to Tenzing), DLA Piper (legal advisor), Osborne Clarke LLP, Russell McVeagh
Merger of Kāpura and Joylab Group
Organisations involved: Chapman Tripp (legal Counsel to Kāpura), Bell Gully (for Joylab Group), Simpson Grierson (legal advisor to DB Breweries); Banks: Cameron Partners (for Kāpura), Forsyth Barr (for DB Breweries)
Georgina Sanders, Mainfreight
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Gabriella Garcia, AIA NZ
Julie Hands, Hato Hone St John
Romina Seylani, Douglas Pharmaceuticals
Sam Fellows, Tauranga City Council
Sonia Pinto, Inland Revenue
Taylor Sutherland, Perpetual Guardian
WINNER
Louise Martin, Auckland International Airport
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Briony McTaggart, Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake
Karyn O’Loughlin, DB Breweries
Kathryn Mitchell, Crown Infrastructure Partners
Louise Rooney, Precinct Properties
Mark Cunliffe, New Zealand Takeovers Panel
Theresa Donnelly, Perpetual Guardian
Tom Thursby, One New Zealand
Sponsored by
ANZ
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
AIA NZ
KPMG NZ
New Zealand Green Investment Finance
Perpetual Guardian Legal Team
Suncorp New Zealand – Legal & Secretariat
Winners of the Financial Services In-House Team and Energy In-House Team categories have been progressed to become Excellence Awardees of In-House Team of the Year.
Vector
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Contact Energy Legal Team
Genesis Energy
Winners of the Financial Services In-House Team and Energy In-House Team categories have been progressed to become Excellence Awardees of In-House Team of the Year.
Fonterra Legal Team
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
ANZ
Auckland International Airport
Downer
Fisher & Paykel Appliances
Hato Hone St John
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
One New Zealand
Precinct Properties
SkyCity Entertainment Group
Vector
Winners of the Financial Services In-House Team and Energy In-House Team categories have been progressed to become Excellence Awardees of In-House Team of the Year.
Sponsored by
Ashton Goatley, Webb Henderson
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Alex MacDuff, Russell McVeagh
Charlotte Garland, Mayne Wetherell
Emma Hughes, Anthony Harper
Keegan Jones, WRMK Lawyers
Kishan Gunatunga, Chapman Tripp
Matt Austin, Simpson Grierson
Samantha Beattie, Wotton + Kearney
Wendy Smith, DLA Piper
Zac Kedgley-Foot, Bell Gully
Sponsored by
WINNER
Dyhrberg Drayton Employment Law
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Black Door Law
Copeland Ashcroft Law
McBride Davenport James
Richard Upton
WINNER
Cooper Legal
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Gilbert Walker
K3 Legal
LeeSalmonLong
Russell Legal
Wilson Harle
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SPECIALIST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR
WINNER
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Catalyst Intellectual Property
Henry Hughes IP
James & Wells
BAKER TILLY STAPLES RODWAY PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR
WINNER
TBB
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
AlexanderDorrington
Convey Law
Domain Legal
Kate Sheehan Lawyers
Sponsored by
WINNER
Webb Henderson
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
BlackmanSpargo Rural Law
Flacks & Wong
Juno Legal
Morrison Partners
Norling Law
Quigg Partners
Rice Speir
Sponsored by
WINNER
James & Wells
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
AJ Park
Juno Legal
McCaw Lewis
Morris Legal
SHIFT Advisory
Succeed Legal
Tavendale and Partners
Wynn Williams
Sponsored by
WINNER
Russell McVeagh
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Anderson Lloyd
Anthony Harper
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Chapman Tripp
Dentons
DLA Piper
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Simpson Grierson
Tompkins Wake
Sponsored by
WINNER
Mayne Wetherell
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Cavell Leitch
Cooney Lees Morgan
Harmos Horton Lusk
K3 Legal
McVeagh Fleming
Sponsored by
ROBERT WALTERS LARGE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Bell Gully
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Anderson Lloyd
Anthony Harper
Chapman Tripp
Dentons
DLA Piper
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Russell McVeagh
Simpson Grierson
Tompkins Wake
Wynn Williams
Sponsored by
WINNER
Cecilia Burgess, Cooney Lees Morgan
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Alissa Bell, McVeagh Fleming
Andrew Shaw, Lane Neave
Brent Norling, Norling Law
Edwin Morrison, K3 Legal
Helen Mackay, Juno Legal
Sally Morris, Morris Legal
Sonja Cooper, Cooper Legal
Tim Walden, James & Wells
Richard Greenaway, Anderson Lloyd
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Andrew Poole, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Hayden Wilson, Dentons
Jon Calder, Tompkins Wake
Laura Scampion, DLA Piper
Phillipa Muir, Simpson Grierson
WINNER
Simpson Grierson
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Anderson Lloyd
Buddle Findlay
DLA Piper
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Tompkins Wake
The full list of winners can also be found here.
