THE NEW ZEALAND LAW AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS
DEAL AWARDS
M&A Deal of the Year
AMP Capital Investors sale of property portfolio
FIRMS
- Bell Gully, Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh
BANKS
- Macquarie Bank, PwC
Evolve Education IPO and acquisition of day-care centres
FIRMS
- Anthony Harper, Bell Gully, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, Sainsbury Logan and Williams
BANKS
- ASB Bank Limited, Goldman Sachs
Fonterra acquisition of Beingmate
FIRMS
- Arnold Bloch Leibler, King & Wood Mallesons, Minter Ellison, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, Russell McVeagh
Harvard Management sale of interest in Kaingaroa Forest
FIRMS
- Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, DLA Piper New Zealand, Russell McVeagh, Simpson Grierson, Webb Henderson
Ngai Tahu Tainui purchase of Go Bus
FIRMS
- Chapman Tripp, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, Russell McVeagh
Partial takeover of Open Country Dairy by Talley's
FIRMS
- Harmos Horton Lusk Limited
Vocus Communications takeover of FX Networks
FIRMS
- Bell Gully, Mayne Wetherall, Simpson Grierson
Capital Markets Deal of the Year
Fisher & Paykel Finance Q Card securitisation
FIRMS
- Bell Gully, Mayne Wetherall
Intueri IPO
FIRMS
- Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh
BANKS
- Macquarie Bank, UBS
Kiwibank tier 2 securities offer
FIRMS
- Buddle Findlay, Russell McVeagh
Metroglass IPO
FIRMS
- Bell Gully, Russell McVeagh
BANKS
- Macquarie Bank
Millennium & Copthorne distribution in specie
FIRMS
- Bell Gully
Precinct Properties capital raising
FIRMS
- Baker & McKenzie, Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh
BANKS
- Credit Suisse (Australia), First NZ Capital
Mid-market Deal of the Year
CRG and Milford Asset Management investment in AFT
FIRMS
- Chapman Tripp, Cooney Lees Morgan, Harmos Horton Lusk Limited
Sale of GFG to Wirecard
FIRMS
- Anthony Harper
Takeover of Finzsoft by Silverlake
FIRMS
- Anderson Creagh Lai, Harmos Horton Lusk Limited, Russell McVeagh
Consumer, Media & Tech Deal of the Year
Acquisition of Novopay assets and renegotiation of education sector payroll agreement
FIRMS
- Russell McVeagh
Negotiation of 2016-2020 SANZAR rights for SKY Television
FIRMS
- Buddle Findlay
IN-HOUSE TEAM
- SKY Television
Sale of Griffin's Foods to Universal Robina
FIRMS
- Chapman Tripp, Mayne Wetherell, Russell McVeagh
Vector acquisition of Arc Innovations
FIRMS
- Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh
M&A Deal of the Year
Finalists to be announced on the evening
International Deal of the Year
Finalists to be announced on the evening
IN-HOUSE AWARDS
Anthony Harper Young In-house Lawyer of the Year (under 35)
- Mike Wakefield, Auckland Council
- Amanda Barclay, Department of Corrections- NZ
- Natalie Summerville, Fisher & Paykel Appliances
- Tom Lane, Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine (NZ)
- Brent Norling, Waterstone Insolvency
- Michael Green, Xero
Banking and Finance In-house Team of the Year
- ANZ Bank New Zealand
- ASB Bank
- Bank of New Zealand
- Kiwi Wealth Legal Team
- Westpac
Insurance In-house Team of the Year
- AIG
- IAG New Zealand
- Vero Insurance NZ
Russell McVeagh In-house Team of the Year
- Auckland Council – Legal Services
- Auckland International Airport
- Fletcher Building
- Fonterra Group
In-house Lawyer of the Year
- Craig Mulholland, ANZ Bank New Zealand
- Katherine Anderson, Auckland Council
- Trevor Wairepo, Kiwi Property Group
- Larissa Vaughan, Kiwi Wealth Legal Team
- Takeshi Ito, Millennium Hotels and Resorts
- Jeff Sissons, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions- Te Kauae Kaimahi
- Luke Facer, Orion Health Group
FIRM AWARDS
Regional/Suburban Law Firm of the Year
- BlackmanSpargo Rural Law
- Fitzherbert Rowe
- Layburn Hodgins
- Mark Copeland Lawyer
- RSM LAW Limited
- Russell Moon & Fail Lawyers
- Stevens Orchard Lawyers
Tempest Litigation Funders Boutique Law Firm of the Year
- BlackmanSpargo Rural Law
- Kahui Legal
- Madison Hardy
- Sue Barker Charities Law
- TGT Legal
- Thompson Blackie Biddles
- Webb Henderson
Crowe Horwath Mid-size Law Firm of the Year
- Anderson Lloyd
- Anthony Harper
- Cavell Leitch
- Layburn Hodgins
Large Law Firm of the Year
- Bell Gully
- Buddle Findlay
- Chapman Tripp
- DLA Piper New Zealand
- Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
- Russell McVeagh
- Simpson Grierson
Employment Law Specialist Firm of the Year
- Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
- Dyhrberg Drayton Employment Law
- Goldstein Ryder Limited
- LangtonHudsonButcher
- McBride Davenport James
- SBM Legal
Crowe Horwath Litigation and Dispute Resolution Specialist Law Firm of the Year
- Gilbert/Walker
- LeeSalmonLong
- Parker & Associates
- Prestige Lawyers
- Rainey Law
- Rice + Co Lawyers
- Wilson Harle
Intellectual Property Specialist Law Firm of the Year
- AJ Park
- Baldwins Intellectual Property
- CreateIP
- Henry Hughes
- James & Wells
- Zone Law
PRENDOS New Zealand Property and Construction Specialist Law Firm of the Year
- AlexanderDorrington
- Madison Hardy
- Queen City Law
- Thompson Blackie Biddles
AIG Insurance Insurance Specialist Law Firm of the Year
- DAC Beachcroft New Zealand
- Grant Shand Barristers & Solicitors
- McElroys Lawyers
- Robertsons
Legal Personnel Employer of Choice: 1 - 50 Employees
- BlackmanSpargo Rural Law
- Edmonds Judd
- EMA Legal
- Madison Hardy
- Prestige Lawyers
- TGT Legal
Legal Personnel Employer of Choice: 51 - 100 Employees
- Anthony Harper
- Brookfields
- Cavell Leitch
- Glaister Ennor
- James & Wells
Legal Personnel Employer of Choice: More than 100 Employees
- AJ Park
- Anderson Lloyd
- Buddle Findlay
- Chapman Tripp
- Minter EllisonRudd Watts
- Russell McVeagh
- Simpson Grierson
Resolution Institute Mediator of the Year
- John Hardie
- Royden Hindle
- David Hurley
- Timothy McMichael
- Janet Scott
- Diana Shirtcliff
LexisNexis New Zealand Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year (under 35)
- Emma Burke, Anderson Lloyd
- Tim Bunker, Anthony Harper
- Pavanie Edirisuriya, DLA Piper New Zealand
- Chris Anderson, Lane Neave
- Janine Stewart, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
- Tom Hunt, Russell McVeagh
- Matt Conway, Simpson Grierson
- Michael Gartshore, Webb Henderson
Crowe Horwath Managing Partner of the Year
- Richard Greenaway, Anderson Lloyd
- Malcolm Hurley, Anthony Harper
- Julian Clarke, Cavell Leitch
- Andrew Poole, Chapman Tripp
- Martin Wiseman, DLA Piper New Zealand
- Kevin Jaffe, Simpson Grierson