Bell Gully

Bell Gully

NZ’s Social Media Ban Has a Lawyer Problem: How Do You Keep 15-Year-Olds Out Without Checking Everyone Else?

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New Zealand’s proposed under-16 social media restrictions have acquired something governments generally prefer legislation not to have, which is having lawyers asking awkward questions about how they will actually work. The Government’s Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill would require operators of designated social media platforms to take reasonable steps to

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

Angela harford website portrait

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

Supremecourtwarning AI

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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Christine Meechan KC

LawFuel Power List 2025 No. 25 Pre-eminent in construction and infrastructure law Christine Meechan KC had a background in insurance litigation in London before becoming a partner at Bell Gully and building a substantial civil litigation practice. Her expertise spans complex construction disputes, insurance, indemnity, engineering contracts, and infrastructure projects – sectors that are frequently

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Bell Gully Makes 6 Senior Appointments

>> Check new law jobs on NZ’s Best Law Jobs Network Bell Gully has further strengthened its senior ranks with the recent appointment of six senior associates in the corporate, litigation, employment and projects and real estate teams: Charles Wong, Hannah Turton, Rebecca Compson, Ruth Keats, Adam Conti and Matthew Flinn. “We are pleased to welcome six senior associates – a mix

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5 New Partners at Bell Gully

Bell Gully has appointed five new partners in 2024: corporate lawyers Alex Bond, Gabrielle Menzies, and Richard Massey, projects and real estate lawyer Mat Brown, and dispute resolution lawyer Sam Hiebendaal. These talented lawyers, all of whom have been internally promoted, bring diverse skills, experience and insights to the partnership. >> New Jobs on LawFuel’s Jobs Network “We are pleased

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The New Zealand Law Power List – The Young New Entrant ‘Super Lawyer’

Cristina billett lawfuel

Among the new entrants in the LawFuel Power List of the 40 most powerful lawyers in the country – about to be announced – is the new corporate lawyer appointed as General Manager of Corporate Affairs for the $47 billion Fund, former Bell Gully lawyer Christina Billett Being involved in a governance capacity screening Fund

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Law Firm Says Mainzeal Decision Shows Need For Legislative Reform

Shipley

Supreme Court Urges Review of Directors’ Duties >> NZ Law Jobs Here – New Jobs Daily Bell Gully have written about the Mainzeal case, finding against former directors of the failed business, including former Prime Minister Dame Jenny Shipley, saying that there is a need to recalibrate directors’ duties. The firm says in a briefing

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Bell Gully Add Five New Partners and 3 Special Counsel

Bell Gully have appointed five new partners and three special counsel in a new round of elevations for the firm. The press release announcing the appointments is below: Bell Gully’s new senior appointments represent some of the best legal talent in Aotearoa New Zealand. The five new partners are experienced banking and finance lawyers Sarah

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