TMT in New Zealand

Bell Gully

The team at Bell Gully fields an impressive track record advising on complex public sector tech procurement projects. Working with a diverse roster of clients, including domestic tech companies and multinational platforms, the practice regularly handles matters pertaining to the emerging tech sector, media law issues, and data and security mandates. The practice is jointly steered by Wellington-based Dean Oppenhuis and Auckland-based Tania Goatley. A litany of clients in the public and private sectors turn to Oppenhuis for his experience advising on tech procurement and implementation matters. Goatley leads the firm’s media practice and is chiefly recognised for her expertise in privacy and cyber security law. Tech specialist Laura Littlewood is a key port of call for tech companies and New Zealand charities.

Responsables de la pratique:

Dean Oppenhuis; Tania Goatley


Autres avocats clés:

Laura Littlewood; Jared McIntosh


Principaux clients

8i


Air New Zealand


Amazon


Apple


ASB Bank


Astrix Aeronautics


Bentley Systems


BNZ Bank


Costco


Crown Infrastructure Partners


Cyber Toa


Department of Internal Affairs


Facebook / Meta


Genesis Energy


Greater Wellington Regional Council


Google


Graphpad


IAG Insurance


Lely


Lightspeed POS


LinkedIn


Memnon


Metlifecare


Ministry for Primary Industries


Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade


New Zealand Customs Service


New Zealand Guardian Trust


New Zealand Lotteries Commission (Lotto)


Non-Fungible Labs


Partly Group


Rocketlab


Statistics New Zealand


Straker Translations


Syft Technologies


Task Group (formerly Plexure Group)


Taxicharge New Zealand


The Network for Learning


Thought Machine


Universal College of Learning (UCOL)


Vodafone


Wellington City Council


Xero


NZME.


APN News & Media


Bloomberg LP


Frucor


Colenso BBDO


Discovery


Lime Technology


MediaWorks


Netflix Luxembourg S.à.r.l.


RadioNZ


Stuff


TVNZ


Warner Bros


Yahoo


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Vodafone NZ on the complex technology and transitional agreements in relation to its proposed establishment and sale of its passive mobile tower business for $1.7bn to funds managed or advised by leading global investors InfraRed Capital Partners (on behalf of HICL Infrastructure PLC) and Northleaf Capital Partners.
  • Acted for Crown Infrastructure Partners Limited (CIP) and Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC) on the procurement of a new public safety communications network for New Zealand’s emergency services agencies.
  • Advised the Department of Corrections on the procurement of a new $180 million contract for an end-to-end electronic monitoring solution.

Buddle Findlay

Buddle Findlay is noted for its ability to ‘seamlessly integrate the firm’s other subject matter experts in areas including tax, indigenous IP, and the public sector’ to provide clients with a fully comprehensive service. Praised for its ‘pragmatic legal support’, the team has demonstrable experience in IT procurement and implementation, cyber security and data privacy risk, compliance and media, and entertainment matters. The practice is jointly led by Wellington-based Amy Ryburn and Auckland-based Allan Yeoman. Ryburn is lauded by clients for her ‘second-to-none’ market knowledge, whilst Yeoman is noted for his ability to advise clients on the full spectrum of TMT issues. Philip Wood is recommended for his experience providing commercial, IT, telecoms, media, and TV and film-related advice. Key contact Renee Stiles specialises in drafting and negotiating large-scale and complex ICT and outsourcing contracts for both public sector and private clients. Damien Steel-Baker is also noted.

Responsables de la pratique:

Amy Ryburn; Allan Yeoman


Autres avocats clés:

Philip Wood; Renee Stiles; Damien Steel-Baker; Keri Johansson; Elizabeth Rose; Keri Johansson


Les références

‘They are easy to work with and very flexible. I recommend Allan Yeoman and Keri Johansson.’

‘The Buddle Findlay TMT team provides pragmatic legal support that has assisted us in achieving a number of major ICT transactions and building internal tools and capabilities. They are smart, positive, driven people, and have become an essential part of the success of our major project teams.’ 

‘The size and depth of the Buddle Findlay TMT team allows them to support us on multiple concurrent transactions, without compromising on quality of service. They also seamlessly integrate the firm’s other subject matter experts in areas including tax, indigenous IP, and the public sector.’

Principaux clients

Auckland Council


Chelmer Limited


Contact Energy


Department of Corrections


Department of Internal Affairs


Imagination Television


Lygon 1B Pty Ltd.


New Zealand Blood and Organ Service


New Zealand Post


NZ Plumbing Merchants


Payments NZ Limited


Radio New Zealand


Sky Television


Tend Health Limited


University of Auckland


University of Canterbury


One NZ (formerly Vodafone New Zealand)


Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency


Wellington International Airport Limited


Zespri


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising Sky Television on potential amendments to its long-term satellite transponder lease arrangement with Optus Networks Pty Ltd., including dealing with the contractual and commercial implications of moving satellites from one orbital slot to another.
  • Advising the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in respect of a significant project for MBIE’s primary IT outsourcing contract for managed services.
  • Advised Vodafone (now One NZ) in respect of the sale of a specific subset of tower assets as part of Vodafone’s $1.7bn sale of its passive mobile tower assets to funds managed or advised by InfraRed Capital Partners and Northleaf Capital Partners.

Hudson Gavin Martin

Well-regarded for its ‘deep industry knowledge of the sector and local market’ and its ‘commercial and pragmatic’ approach, full-service Auckland-based Hudson Gavin Martin is a specialist TMT and IP firm. With an extensive portfolio of start-ups, SMEs, domestic and multinational companies, the team is well-positioned to assist clients on the full gamut of TMT matters, with a focus on corporate transactions that involve tech, media and IP issues. ‘Consummate professional’ Simon Martin leads the practice and is noted for his work advising on emerging tech joint venture commercial arrangements. Edwin Lim is recognised for his ability to understand the nature of his clients’ tech environment, whilst ‘very strong technical lawyer’ Anchali Anandanayagam is recommended for her specialism in all legal aspects of tech, media and telecoms. The ‘incredibly pragmatic’ Andrew Dentice is noted for his work on tech transactions, IP and corporate structuring.

Responsables de la pratique:

Simon Martin


Autres avocats clés:

Edwin Lim; Anchali Anandanayagam; Tim Mahood; Andrew Dentice; Jason Rudkin-Binks


Les références

‘Hudson Gavin Martin are one of the leading TMT law firms in NZ. They have deep industry knowledge of the sector and local market, and they are all very technically strong lawyers. They keep across the latest technology, innovation and legal developments, and they are very commercial and pragmatic. They are committed to great client service, and they are always very easy to work with!’

‘Anchali Anandanayagam is a very strong technical lawyer who is also very commercial, committed and a joy to work with.’

‘This whole firm is TMT focused, it’s what they do day in and day out so they absolutely understand our needs and provide massive value add from their immersion in this area.’

Principaux clients

Kiwa Digital


Television New Zealand


Auckland Transport


Air New Zealand


Foodstuffs North Island Ltd


Delta Insurance


One New Zealand Group Ltd


Vector New Zealand


2Degrees


Sky Television


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising Auckland Transport in relation to their participation in the National Ticketing Solution and on a key strategic projects to deliver an open-loop contactless ticketing solution for public transport in Auckland.
  • Advised Television New Zealand on the procurement and implementation of a cloud-based customer data platform (CDP) from which TVNZ can offer premium audience segments to its advertisers via its existing advertising platforms.
  • Advised Foodstuffs in its consideration of implementing facial recognition technology to assist in mitigating increasing risks to safety and security of individuals and property in stores.

MinterEllisonRuddWatts

MinterEllisonRuddWatts is noted for its ability to marry a ‘meticulous attention-to-detail’ with a ‘deep industry knowledge’ across the full spectrum of TMT matters. The team boasts expertise in tech transformation projects, large-scale M&A transactions and emerging technologies. At the helm sits Auckland’s Tom Maasland, who is roundly praised for his ‘extensive knowledge, pragmatic approach, and genuine demeanour’; Maasland frequently advises on emerging tech, including cyber security, AI and blockchain-related matters. Ross Patterson routinely represents clients in New Zealand’s highest profile merger clearances, authorisations and Commerce Commission investigations. The Wellington office is home to John McCay and ‘standout performer’ Jane Parker, who is a key port of call for blue-chip clients on critical tech projects. Associate Kate Cruickshank specialises in commercial law with particular expertise in IT contracts, film financing, and consumer legal issues.

Responsables de la pratique:

Tom Maasland


Autres avocats clés:

Jane Parker; John McCay; Richard Wells; Kate Cruickshank; Ross Patterson; Kate Anderson; Sonya Forbes


Les références

‘Jane Parker was a standout performer for our business – her knowledge of the subject and thoughtful responses gave us the confidence to challenge our client’s legal position. Advice on new contracts was also very thorough and business-focused.’

‘The TMT team practice has supported our business as we have undertaken significant digital transformation over the past year.’

‘Tom Maasland and his team consistently provide advice of a very high-quality. Tom’s knowledge of the sector, and solution-focused advice makes him a valued business partner to our organisation.’

Principaux clients

Westpac New Zealand


Spark New Zealand


Television New Zealand


New Zealand Lotteries Commission


New Zealand Film Commission


Enable Networks


Soul Machines


Rural Connectivity Group


The Warehouse Group


Datacom Group


Principaux dossiers


  • Acting for Hourua (joint venture between Spark and Vodafone) on a NZD1.4bn ‘first of its kind’ telecoms deal to enhance communications for New Zealand’s first responders.
  • Acting for 12 public transport authorities and Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) on Project NEXT, the project to procure a national ticketing solution to enable and process payments for journeys on public transport in New Zealand.
  • Assisting Metlifecare with the preparation and negotiation of an IT Master Services Agreement for the implementation of essential finance and customer relationship management information technology.

Russell McVeagh

Public sector, financial services, media and emerging tech expertise forms the cornerstone of the TMT practice at Russell McVeagh. The team possesses the capabilities to advise its diverse roster of clients on the full lifecycle of TMT transactions, including funding, development, procurement and supply, partnerships, investments, and commercialisations. Auckland-based Liz Blythe co-heads the firm’s tech practice, and is noted for her focus on tech, digital and telecoms-related matters. Joe Edwards heads the media, marketing law and IP team and fields an impressive track record acting on high-profile TMT cases. The Wellington office is home to Mei Fern Johnson who routinely handles nationally significant tech projects and specialises in complex procurement and structuring for multi-party, collaborative and innovative tech projects. Special counsel Louise Taylor is recommended for her specialism advising on tech contracts and projects.

Responsables de la pratique:

Liz Blythe; Mei Fern Johnson; Joe Edwards


Autres avocats clés:

Louise Taylor


Principaux clients

Land Information New Zealand


Spark New Zealand Trading Limited


Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment


Meridian Energy Limited


Auckland International Airport


Television New Zealand


QIC Private Capital


Lion NZ Limited


Fonterra Co-Operative Group Limited


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised NZ Government on the establishment and roll out of satellite technology in conjunction with the Australian Government, unlocking more than $7.6 billion in economic benefits for industries in both countries.
  • Advised QIC Private Capital on its acquisition of 50% of Vector Limited’s New Zealand and Australian metering business – the largest smart metering platform across Australia and New Zealand, with over 2.3 million meters owned or managed across the electricity and gas sectors.
  • Advising Television New Zealand in relations to an appeal brought against the Broadcasting Standards Authority relating to the use of pixelated technology and images of individuals on news broadcasts in New Zealand.

Anderson Lloyd

With offices spread across Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown, the ‘extremely diligent’ team at Anderson Lloyd serves a diverse roster of public and private clients on a range of TMT issues. The practice is steered by Queenstown-based Derek Roth-Biester who has extensive experience in tech procurement, outsourcing and the delivery of complex IT projects. In the Christchurch office, Josh Williams is noted for his experience advising on M&A matters in the tech and software sector, whilst ‘outstanding’ senior associate Megan Pearce regularly acts for public and private sector clients on a host of TMT issues and is described as ‘extremely diligent, knowledgeable and fair'.

Responsables de la pratique:

Derek Roth-Biester


Autres avocats clés:

Megan Pearce; Josh Williams


Les références

‘They provide specialist advice to clients in the technology sector.’

‘The team specialises in technology and is extremely diligent.’

‘Megan Pearce is an outstanding senior associate. Extremely diligent, knowledgeable and fair. Great at translating technical concepts into real world applications.’

Principaux clients

Avertana


Everlasting.io


First Table


Queenstown Marina


Radford Software shareholders


Scannable NZ


Silverlight Studios


SPM Assets Ltd


Teddy Technologies


Timaru District Council


Principaux dossiers


  • Continuing to advise Silverlight Studios in relation to all aspects of its film production facility in Wanaka, Central Otago.
  • Advising First Table, a SaaS restaurant booking platform based in Queenstown, on its crowd-funded equity raise through the Snowball Effect platform, led by Invest South with other significant investors including Mainland Angels Investment Fund.
  • Advising Timaru District Council in relation to the commercial agreements for their access to the Archibus asset management software platform and master services agreement with WTP NZ Advisory.

Chapman Tripp

Counting blue-chip tech companies, leading banks, media companies and government entities among its key client roster, Chapman Tripp frequently handles tech-related M&A work and telecoms-related regulatory matters. The team is jointly led by Wellington-based Tim Sherman and Auckland-based Kelly McFadzien. Sherman specialises in corporate and commercial law, with an emphasis on ICT projects, outsourcing, IP, procurement and data protection, whilst McFadzien is recommended for her experience advising clients on IP-related issues in the tech sector.

Responsables de la pratique:

Tim Sherman; Kelly McFadzien


Autres avocats clés:

Matt Sumpter


Principaux clients

InfraRed Capital Partners


Northleaf Capital


Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board


Connexa


Microsoft


M2 NZ Limited


M2 Telecommunications Pty Limited


Motion Picture Association of America


Chorus


Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand


Parliamentary Services


Principaux dossiers


Dentons New Zealand

Praised for its ‘responsive and pragmatic’ approach, the team at Dentons New Zealand is noted for its wide-range of capabilities in the full spectrum of TMT matters, which includes advising on matters involving privacy issues, compliance, the procurement and deployment of tech, and e-commerce regulation. Leveraging the firm’s extensive global network, the practice regularly assists international clients on a host of complex tech-related transactions. In Auckland, the ‘excellent and really pragmatic’ Hayley Miller leads the practice. Miller is recommended for her expertise advising on the law relating to the development, use, procurement and deployment of tech, with a particular focus on the launch of SaaS offerings.

Responsables de la pratique:

Hayley Miller


Autres avocats clés:

Campbell Featherstone; Gunes Haksever


Les références

‘Dentons are really outcome-driven, they are very responsive and pragmatic.’

‘Hayley Miller is excellent and really pragmatic. She is quick to distil issues and very apt at suggesting useful resolutions. She is a very practical lawyer and good strategist in the context of commercial negotiations.’

Principaux clients

ASB Bank Limited


Amazon


Tourism NZ


Serko


Cognizant


Google


PayPal Inc.


Airbnb


nib nz Limited and nib nz Insurance Limited


Optus Satellite Pty Limited


Snapper Services Limited


ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited


The Order of St John


HSBC – The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited


Downer New Zealand


Danone Nutricia New Zealand Limited


Unison Networks Limited


Airways Corporation of NZ


Centrality Investments Limited


Wellington City Council


Qualmark NZ


Police Health Plan


St John New Zealand


Xerra Earth Observation Institute Limited


Tourism Industry Aotearoa


Warner Music Group


Left Lane Capital Partners II Aggregator LP


BT Mining


Principaux dossiers


Simpson Grierson

The team at Simpson Grierson is noted for its ‘high quality output and advice’ in major tech and telecoms projects. The practice regularly handles matters pertaining to privacy and data protection, emerging tech, media law and regulatory issues. Steering the practice are Auckland-based partners Karen Ngan and Jania Baigent. Ngan, praised for her ‘very good eye for detail and a clear understanding of commercial drivers’, leads the firm’s tech and telecoms team, whilst Baigent leads the media, cybersecurity and data disputes team and is recommended for her strength in media and information law, regularly acting on disputes and litigation. Simon Vannini is described as a ‘standout performer with a wealth of experience in the TMT space’.

Responsables de la pratique:

Karen Ngan; Jania Baigent


Autres avocats clés:

Michael Sage; Simon Vannini


Les références

‘Simon Vannini is a standout performer with a wealth of experience in the TMT space.’

‘Karen Ngan is an excellent practitioner with a very good eye for detail and a clear understanding of commercial drivers.’

‘Karen Ngan has an excellent eye for detail and a clear understanding of commercial drivers. Karen always goes above and beyond to ensure work is completed within timeframes required.’

Principaux clients

The a2 Milk Company Limited


Alliance Group Limited


Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS)


ASB Bank Limited


Bandwidth, Inc.


Christchurch City Council


Cosentino S.A.


Cubic Transportation Systems Limited


Dense Air New Zealand Limited


Eisai Europe Limited


Football New Zealand


Golf New Zealand


Grizzly Software Limited


Hockey New Zealand


Hasbro


Huntington Commercial Finance


IQVIA


Kordia Limited


Netball New Zealand


New Plymouth District Council


New Zealand Rugby


Palmerston North City Council


Porirua City Council (PCC)


Saint Kentigern School


Shareholders of Infotools Limited


Site Safe New Zealand


Tasman District Council


Tauranga City Council


Te Wananga o Aotearoa (TWoA)


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints


The Factory NZ Limited and Sprout Agritech LP (Sprout)


Transpower New Zealand Limited


Viatris Limited


Voyage Digital (2degrees)


Waikato District Health Board / Te Whatu Ora


Watercare Services Limited


Weber-Stephens Products


Whakāata Māori


Xoria Limited


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Cubic on its contract arrangements with Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Transport Agency) for the design, supply and implementation of a National Ticketing Solution for public transport across New Zealand.
  • Assisted 2degrees on its sale of 2degrees’ passive network infrastructure (towers, etc) to Connexa Limited (partially owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan) for NZD 1.076bn.
  • Acted for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (TWO) and Ministry of Justice (MOJ) in a landmark proceeding against unknown defendants.

DLA Piper New Zealand

The ‘strong’ TMT practice at DLA Piper New Zealand handles a range of matters for its diverse portfolio of clients, including public and private companies and start-ups. The team possesses the capabilities to assist on the full spectrum of work, with a particular focus on tech transactions. Praised for his ‘strong technical knowledge’, Nick Valentine leads the practice and is noted for his ability to advise public and private sector clients on the full-range of tech transactions, from BAU deals through to large-scale digital transformation projects. Associate Edward Eisdell-Moore is noted for his experience leading the negotiation, drafting and implementation of complex TMT transactions.

Responsables de la pratique:

Nick Valentine


Autres avocats clés:

Edward Eisdell-Moore; David Johnston


Les références

‘DLA Piper’s TMT practice in NZ is strong. They work for quality international and domestic clients, are committed to client service, and they are commercial and easy to deal with.’

‘Nick Valentine is a very strong TMT lawyer in NZ.’

‘The DLA Auckland TMT team have been fantastic for a couple of reasons – they have provided some really sensible advice around our ESOP programme, structure of our terms of service and have connected us with community in New Zealand and Australia.’

Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Television New Zealand Limited (TVNZ) on its acquisition of 17 content rights agreements and New Zealand Cricket production rights from New Zealand’s largest telco, Spark, heralding the return of New Zealand cricket to free-to-air television.
  • Advising Heartland Bank on a digital transformation project, involving the migration of its computing infrastructure to a managed Storage as a Service solution.
  • Advising New Zealand grocery giant Foodstuffs on the launch of its omnichannel retail media business, Foodstuffs Precision Media, in partnership with global data science leader, dunnhumby.

Duncan Cotterill

Spread across the Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and Queenstown offices, Duncan Cotterill's practice is noted for its breadth of knowledge across the full gamut of TMT matters, spanning IP, privacy, procurement, regulatory compliance, cloud service and SaaS arrangements, and cyber security issues. The team is spearheaded by Michael Moyes who excels in providing end-to-end support on complex tech projects and who has demonstrable experience on software development and procurement matters. Mark Cathro advises on a wide-range of tech, corporate law and governance issues, whilst Peter Fernando is recommended for his broad commercial experience.

Responsables de la pratique:

Michael Moyes


Autres avocats clés:

Mark Cathro; Peter Fernando


Principaux dossiers


  • Advising the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (government agency) on the technology to support their emergency calls to progress to 5G, and to proactively locate individuals.
  • Advising on Panasonic’s New Zealand operations with respect to all commercial and technology matters, including their new business development.
  • Assisted Consignly to build and launch their product, grow its market share, and seize commercial opportunities, while ensuring its valuable intellectual property and capital investment was protected.

Webb Henderson

Webb Henderson's practice regularly advises some of the world’s largest telecoms operators, and media and tech companies on the array of TMT matters. Jordan Cox is the key contact in the Auckland office and is noted for his focus on telecoms infrastructure, where his work supports the ever-increasing demand for internet capacity through the rollout of submarine cable, satellite and terrestrial fibre networks.

Responsables de la pratique:

Jordan Cox


Principaux clients

nbn


Google


SpaceX


Starlink


Spark


Lumen


Avaroa Cables Limited


Seachange New Zealand Limited


HyperOne


Principaux dossiers


  • Act for nbn in relation to the proposed variation of its Special Access Undertaking, which regulates the price and quality of nbn’s services until 2040.
  • Advised Spark on the sale of 70% its mobile tower business to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board for NZ $900m.
  • Advising Spark on its content partnering arrangement with Television New Zealand (TVNZ), resulting in the closedown of the Spark Sport digital platform and a substantial increase in the level of sport on free-to-air broadcasting in New Zealand.

Wilson Harle

Specialist litigation firm Wilson Harle's 'focused' TMT practice regularly acts for a diverse roster of clients on a range of matters, including defamation and media law disputes. Allison Ferguson is a routinely engaged on media law cases, whilst Felicity Monteiro is noted for her expertise on regulatory matters, and media and advertising campaigns. Guy Tompkins and Chris Browne are also recommended.

Responsables de la pratique:

Chris Browne; Allison Ferguson; Felicity Monteiro; Guy Tompkins


Les références

‘A focused team who punch well above their weight. Committed individuals all of whom are independent and intelligent thinkers.’

‘Allison Ferguson is a standout partner.’

Principaux clients

One NZ (Vodafone)


Ecomi Technology PTE Limited


Robert Rogers


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted for One NZ in its defence of 27 criminal charges pursued by the Commerce Commission, arising from the marketing of One NZ’s services provided over Hybrid Fibre Coaxial cable network as “FibreX” and representations on its website about the availability of fibre services to certain areas.
  • Acted for Ecomi, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency issuer, defending a claim by a BVI company which operates as a digital assets adviser.