Power Law Firms – New Zealand

Why NZTA Turned to a Global Law Firm for New Zealand’s Biggest Road Deal

Bell Gully, Law Firms, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases / August 4, 2026

Bell Gully may have led the New Zealand legal team, but one of the more interesting features of the Warkworth to Te Hana Public Private Partnership (PPP) is the involvement of global infrastructure specialist Ashurst Perkins Coie. For a 26‑kilometre stretch of Northland highway, that might sound like over‑lawyering. The concrete may be poured in […]

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Former Minters Lawyer Schenone Makes Another Bold Move

Lawyers, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, New Zealand Law News, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases / August 3, 2026

Former MinterEllisonRuddWatts star Silvana Schenone is making career waves again, exiting local investment bank Jarden, who have had their ups and downs in recent years, to join fast‑rising Australian player Barrenjoey and taking her trans‑Tasman dealmaking clout with her. However the move has attracted the ire and investigation of Jardens as the Australian Financial Review

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NZ Law News – MinterEllisonRuddWatts Announces New Infrastructure and Construction Appointments

MinterEllisonRuddWatts, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases / July 13, 2026

MinterEllisonRuddWatts has announced a series of senior appointments and promotions within its market‑leading Construction and Infrastructure practice, reflecting strong momentum, continued growth and confidence in the future of the sector. The firm has promoted Natasha Hood and Vimal Nair to Partner and welcomed leading projects and infrastructure expert Tom Fail back to the partnership. It

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Minter NZ’s Digital Push

MinterEllisonRuddWatts, New Zealand Law News, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases / June 24, 2026

In line with the increased need for law firms to focus on legalAI and legal technology developments generally, MinterEllisonRuddWatts has apponted a new Chief Information Officer to increase the firm’s ‘digital transformation’. The firm’s media announcement about the move is below – Seasoned technology leader to drive digital and AI strategy at MinterEllisonRuddWatts MinterEllisonRuddWatts has

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Bell Gully Bought Harvey Firm-Wide. The Supreme Court Just Made That Look Prescient

Bell Gully, Legal AI, New Zealand Law News, New Zealand Law News / June 10, 2026

In Jones v Family Court at Whangārei [2026] NZSC 1, the Supreme Court used a published judgment to call out a litigant for citing case law that an AI application had invented. Meanwhile, Bell Gully had become the first large New Zealand firm to roll out Harvey AI to its entire 200-plus lawyer team.

What the Supreme Court Said

Justices Ellen France, Stephen Kós and Forrest Miller dismissed Mr Jones’s leave application after identifying that submissions cited several authorities that “appear to have been hallucinated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application”.

Specific examples included “Teddy v Police [2015] NZSC 62” and “Baird v R [2013] NZSC 120” — real case names combined with incorrect citations, while four genuine cases were misused to support propositions they did not stand for.
The issue for New Zealand law firms.

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NZ Law – MinterEllison Welcomes Return of Infrastructure and Projects Lawyer

MinterEllisonRuddWatts, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases / June 8, 2026

Tom Fail, a former long-serving MinterEllison partner who left to run his own banking, infrastructure and project law firm has returned to his old firm as consultant. The firm’s media statement on the return is below – MinterEllison is pleased to announce the return of leading projects, banking and infrastructure specialist Tom Fail to the firm’s partnership.

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NZ Law – MinterEllisonRuddWatts appoints two new partners to its Band 1 Construction and Infrastructure practice

MinterEllisonRuddWatts, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases / May 13, 2026

MinterEllisonRuddWatts is celebrating the promotions of Natasha Hood and Vimal Nair to Partner in its market leading Construction and Infrastructure practice. The promotions highlight the depth of talent within the firm and its ongoing investment in developing high performing teams for the benefit of clients. Chief Executive Aaron Hockly said: “Natasha and Vimal’s promotions recognise their individual

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FNZ’s US$4.6b Class Action – Inside the Employee Shareholder Revolt

New Zealand Law News, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases, Russell McVeagh / May 13, 2026

A colossal US$4.6 billion (about NZ$7.7 billion) class action against global wealth‑tech group FNZ has opened in the New Zealand High Court, immediately triggering a fierce procedural fight over whether the dispute belongs in Wellington’s courtroom or behind closed doors in offshore arbitration rooms in London. Billed as one of the largest corporate shareholder actions

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MinterEllison Slashing Graduate Jobs: Is AI Replacing Junior Lawyers?

Australia Law News, Featured, Law Firms, Legal AI, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, New Zealand Law News / May 11, 2026

AI is Eating the Entry-level Lunch For years, partners have whispered about how many juniors they actually need if a machine can read 10,000 documents in an hour. This week, MinterEllison in Australia stopped whispering and started acting. The firm has effectively put the Australian legal market on notice, slashing its 2025-26 graduate intake by

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NZ Law – Chapman Tripp’s New Podcast Series

Chapman Tripp, New Zealand Law News, New Zealand Law News, Press Releases / May 5, 2026

In what feels like the legal sector’s latest bid to colonise every available earbud, Chapman Tripp has dipped its toes into the podcast waters with The Special Conditions. Because, of course, what New Zealand’s infrastructure industry really needed was yet another podcast. Chapman Tripp have already dived into podcasting with The Aotearoa Circle (with Alana

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