Winners revealed at the 2022 New Zealand Law Awards

The New Zealand legal industry’s top lawyers, firms and in-house legal teams for 2022 have been unveiled at the 2022 New Zealand Law Awards last night.

The event was held in-person for the first time since 2019 as a black-tie gala at the Cordis Auckland, with AM on Three’s Ryan Bridge as host and the Hipstamatics as the party band.

Since August, a panel of expert judges has been evaluating a batch of nominations across 25 categories that cover the achievers and achievements of law firms, in-house legal teams, lawyers, arbitrators, mediators and service providers to settle on the best of the best.

NZ Lawyer would also like to thank Artemis Executive Recruitment, Lane Neave, James & Wells, Russell McVeagh and Robert Walters for supporting the recognition of excellence in the legal industry as awards sponsors.

See here and below for the full list of both winners and excellence awardees  – and be sure to check out the New Zealand Law Awards website for more information.

Congratulations to the following winners:

DEAL AWARDS 

DEBT MARKET DEAL OF THE YEAR:

Winner: Crown financing support package for Air New Zealand  

• Lead Firms: Bell Gully, Chapman Tripp 
• Other organisations that worked on the deal (firms, banks and accountants): Calibre Partners, Goldman Sachs 

Excellence Awardees: 

• ANZ Bank offer and issue of Tier 2 unsecured subordinated notes  
• Auckland Council offer of secured fixed rate Green Bonds  
• Contact Energy issue of Green capital bonds  

• Syndicated financing of Pacific Radiology Group 

EQUITY MARKET DEAL OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Fonterra Co-operative Group capital structure review 

• Lead Firms: Russell McVeagh, Webb Henderson

Excellence Awardees: 

• Allbirds Initial Public Offering   
• EBOS capital raise to finance Lifehealthcare acquisition  
• Pacific Edge Capital Raise and Dual Listing  
• Winton Land Limited’s Initial Public Offering  

PROJECT FINANCE DEAL OF THE YEAR 

Winner: KiwiRail loan facility to purchase passenger and freight rail ferries 

• Lead Firm: Russell McVeagh 
• Other organisations that worked on the deal (firms, banks and accountants): Bank of America, Holman Fenwick Willan, National Australia Bank, Societe Generale, Watson Farley & Williams, Westpac 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Financing of the development of Hiringa Refuelling NZ's hydrogen refuelling network  
• First sustainability-linked loan for NZ Schools PPP 3  
• Launch of the solarZero schools and commercial energy initiatives 

M&A DEAL OF THE YEAR

Winner: Bentley Systems' acquisition of Seequent Holdings from Accel-KKR 

• Lead Firms: Bell Gully, DLA Piper 
• Other organisations that worked on the deal (firms, banks and accountants): BDO NZ, Chapman Tripp, Grant Thornton, Goldman Sachs, PwC, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett 

Excellence Awardees: 

• 2degrees merger with Orcon Group  
• Acquisition of Vocus Group by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets and Aware Super 
• Infratil's purchase of a majority stake in Pacific Radiology Group 
• Powering Australian Renewables’ and Mercury NZ’s acquisition of Tilt Renewables by Scheme of Arrangement 
• Unity Software acquisition of Wētā FX's digital assets 

INSOLVENCY AND RESTRUCTURING DEAL OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Indevin Group acquisition of Villa Maria Estate from FFWL receivership 

• Lead Firms: Bell Gully, Harmos Horton Lusk, Mayne Wetherell, Webb Henderson 
• Other organisations that worked on the deal (firms, banks and accountants): ANZ, Bank of New Zealand, Buddle Findlay, Deloitte, Rabobank 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Channel Infrastructure restructure and conversion from oil refinery to import terminal  
• Liquidation of Autoterminal New Zealand Limited 
• Successful exit from bankruptcy and reorganization of Hertz Global Holdings' NZ aspects 
• VLG Group Restructure and Refinance  

MID-MARKET DEAL OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Sale of Rydges Wellington hotel to New Zealand Super Fund and NZ Hotels Holding Assets 

• Lead Firms: Anderson Lloyd, Buddle Findlay 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Blackstone’s sale of Arena Living to Arvida Group  
• Classic Group and New Zealand Super Fund partnership in Kaha Ake housing program 
• Fidelity Life’s acquisition of Westpac Group's New Zealand life insurance business  
• Kohlberg Kravis Roberts' acquisiton of Education Perfect 
• Sale of 70 per cent interest in Fertility Associates to New Zealand Super Fund, Pioneer Capital and Comprador Holdings 

IN-HOUSE AWARDS 

JAMES & WELLS YOUNG IN-HOUSE LAWYER OF THE YEAR (35 or under)

Winner: Laura Campbell, University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Chelsie Foley, Tuatahi First Fibre 
• Gabriella Garcia, AIA New Zealand 
• Georgina Sanders, Mainfreight 
• Nathan Watt, OceanaGold Corporation 
• Sivan Nathan, Perpetual Guardian Group 
• Tristan Sage, StockCo 

LANE NEAVE IN-HOUSE LAWYER OF THE YEAR 

Winner: James Radcliffe, Woolworths New Zealand  

Excellence Awardees: 

• David Milton Browne, Business South Incorporated  
• Davina Rowan, Kiwi Wealth Legal Team 
• Jackie Floyd, Fonterra Co-operative Group 
• Joanna Khoo, Chubb Insurance New Zealand 
• Megan Potter, CooperAitken  
• Sarah Retter, Fujitsu New Zealand 

FINANCIAL SERVICES IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation  

Excellence Awardees: 

• AIA New Zealand  
• ASB Legal Services 
• Chubb Insurance NZ Legal Team 
• Kiwi Wealth Legal Team 
• Suncorp New Zealand Legal Team 

RUSSELL MCVEAGH IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Fonterra Co-operative Group Legal Team  

Excellence Awardees: 

• Auckland Council Legal Services Ngā Ratonga Ture 
• Auckland International Airport  
• Genesis Energy Legal Team 
• NZME Legal Team 
• SkyCity Entertainment Group 
• University of Canterbury In-house Legal Services Team 
• Vector Group Legal Team 
• Vodafone New Zealand Legal and Regulatory team 
• Woolworths New Zealand  

FIRM AWARDS 

EMPLOYMENT LAW SPECIALIST FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Dyhrberg Drayton Employment Law 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Black Door Law  
• McBride Davenport James 
• Richard Upton, Barrister 

LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION SPECIALIST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Gilbert Walker 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Cooper Legal 
• K3 Legal 
• Morris 
• Norling Law  
• Russell Legal  
• Wilson Harle 

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SPECIALIST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: James & Wells 

Excellence Awardees: 

• AJ Park 
• Ellis Terry 
• Henry Hughes IP 
• Zone Law 

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: TBB  

Excellence Awardees: 

• AlexanderDorrington 
• Domain Legal 
• Kate Sheehan Lawyers 

INSURANCE SPECIALIST LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Wotton + Kearney New Zealand  

Excellence Awardees: 

• Darroch Forrest Lawyers 
• Gilbert Walker 
• Shine Lawyers NZ 

BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Juno Legal  

Excellence Awardees: 

• BlackmanSpargo Rural Law  
• Flacks & Wong 
• Hudson Gavin Martin 
• Morris 
• Morrison Mallett 
• Queen City Law NZ  
• Webb Henderson 

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE (<100 LAWYERS) 

Winner: Tompkins Wake 

Excellence Awardees: 

• AJ Park 
• Lane Neave 
• Mayne Wetherell 
• Norris Ward McKinnon 
• Webb Henderson 
• Wotton + Kearney 

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE (>100 LAWYERS) 

Winner: Simpson Grierson 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Anderson Lloyd 
• Anthony Harper 
• Bell Gully  
• Buddle Findlay 
• Chapman Tripp 
• Dentons Kensington Swan 
• MinterEllisonRuddWatts 
• Russell McVeagh 

RESOLUTION INSTITUTE MEDIATOR OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Mark Kelly, Bankside Chambers 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Hayden Wilson, Dentons Kensington Swan 
• Jon Everest, PACT and Orange Umbrella 
• Nina Khouri, Nina Khouri Mediation 
• Nurit Zurbery, Beyond Conflict 
• Wi Pere Mita, Laidlaw Law and Consultancy 

YOUNG PRIVATE PRACTICE LAWYER OF THE YEAR (35 OR UNDER) 

Winner: Anastasiya Gutorova, Simpson Grierson 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Alex Bond, Bell Gully 
• Alice Balme, Wynn Williams 
• Charles Thompson, Dentons Kensington Swan 
• Ed McGimpsey, Buddle Findlay 
• Elena Kim, PwC Legal 
• Janko Marcetic, Chapman Tripp 
• Stephanie de Groot, MinterEllisonRuddWatts 
• Tina Liu, Tompkins Wake 
• Tom McGarry, TBB 

MANAGING PARTNER OF THE YEAR (≤100 LAWYERS) 

Winner: Helen Mackay, Juno Legal  

Excellence Awardees: 

• Angela Parlane, Shine Lawyers NZ 
• Edwin Morrison, K3 Legal 
• Jon Calder, Tompkins Wake 
• Philip Maw, Wynn Williams 
• Sally Morris, Morris 
• Sam Hood, Norris Ward McKinnon 
• Tim Walden, James & Wells 

 MANAGING PARTNER OF THE YEAR (>100 LAWYERS) 

Winner: Richard Greenaway, Anderson Lloyd 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Anne Callinan, Simpson Grierson 
• Jennifer Caldwell, Buddle Findlay 
• Malcolm Hurley, Anthony Harper 

MID-SIZE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: McCaw Lewis and Norris Ward McKinnon 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Cooney Lees Morgan 
• Harmos Horton Lusk 
• K3 Legal 
• Mayne Wetherell 

ROBERT WALTERS LARGE LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Bell Gully and Simpson Grierson 

Excellence Awardees: 

• Anderson Lloyd 
• Anthony Harper 
• Buddle Findlay  
• Chapman Tripp 
• Dentons Kensington Swan 
• MinterEllisonRuddWatts 
• Russell McVeagh 
• Tompkins Wake 

PROFESSION AWARDS 

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 

Winner: Laidlaw Law and Consultancy  

Excellence Awardees: 

• Anderson Lloyd 
• Buddle Findlay 
• Dentons Kensington Swan 
• DLA Piper 
• Fujitsu New Zealand  
• MinterEllisonRuddWatts 
• Simpson Grierson