2020 Finalists

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FIRM AWARDS

IN-HOUSE AWARDS

DEAL AWARDS

FIRM AWARDS

Deal Team of the Year (< 100 Lawyers)

Anthony Harper Corporate Advisory Team
Flacks & Wong
Harmos Horton Lusk Corporate Team
Mayne Wetherell
Webb Henderson

NZ Lawyer Deal Team of the Year (> 100 Lawyers)

Bell Gully Corporate Team
Bell Gully Projects and Development Team
Buddle Findlay Corporate Team
Chapman Tripp
MinterEllisonRuddWatts Deal Team
Russell McVeagh, Corporate Advisory Team
Simpson Grierson

Employment Law Specialist Firm of the Year

Dundas Street
Dyhrberg Drayton Employment Law
McBride Davenport James
Practica Legal
Richard Upton

Litigation & Dispute Resolution Specialist Law Firm of the Year

Gilbert Walker
K3 Legal
LeeSalmonLong
Morris Legal
Norling Law
Practica Legal
Rice Speir
Shine Lawyers New Zealand
Wilson Harle

Western Union Business Solutions Intellectual Property Specialist Law Firm of the Year

AJ Park
CreateIP
Ellis Terry
Henry Hughes Law
James & Wells
Zone Law

Property & Construction Specialist Law Firm of the Year

AlexanderDorrington Lawyers
Domain Legal
Thompson Blackie Biddles

Insurance Specialist Law Firm of the Year

Fee Langstone
Gilbert Walker
Shine Lawyers New Zealand Limited ("Shine")
Wotton + Kearney

Boutique Law Firm of the Year

Couch Harlowe Kovacevich
Flacks & Wong
Gilbert Walker
Hudson Gavin Martin
K3 Legal
Layburn Hodgins
Morris Legal
Norling Law
Shine Lawyers New Zealand
Webb Henderson

Artemis Executive Recruitment Employer of Choice (< 50 lawyers)

AJ Park
Harmos Horton Lusk
James & Wells
Juno Legal
Layburn Hodgins
Morris Legal
Norling Law
Webb Henderson
Wotton + Kearney
WRMK Lawyers

Artemis Executive Recruitment Employer of Choice (51-100 Lawyers)

Anthony Harper
Tompkins Wake

Artemis Executive Recruitment Employer of Choice (>100 Lawyers)

Anderson Lloyd
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Chapman Tripp
Dentons Kensington Swan
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Russell McVeagh
Simpson Grierson

Resolution Institute Mediator of the Year

Everard Halbert, Sand Steps
Wayne Marriott, Fleetwood Group
Paul Sills, Paul Sills Mediator & Barrister
Simon Roughton, Orb Solutions
Hayden Wilson, Dentons Kensington Swan

Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year (35 or under)

Maria Clezy, Buddle Findlay
Jordan Cox, Webb Henderson
Igor Drinkovic, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Natasha Garvan, Bell Gully
Angela Harford, Bell Gully
Wook Jin Lee, Dentons Kensington Swan
Emma Manohar, DLA Piper
Emma Moran, DLA Piper
Shane Swinerd, DLA Piper
Nick Valentine, DLA Piper
David Weavers, Russell McVeagh

Managing Partner of the Year (≤100 Lawyers)

Jon Calder, Tompkins Wake
Sam Hood, Norris Ward McKinnon
Malcolm Hurley, Anthony Harper
Edwin Morrison, K3 Legal
Angela Parlane, Shine Lawyers NZ
Tim Walden, James & Wells
David Westlake Jones (Wes Jones), Baldwins

Managing Partner of the Year (>100 Lawyers)

Paul Beverley, Buddle Findlay
Anna Buchly, Bell Gully
Anne Callinan, Simpson Grierson
Richard Greenaway, Anderson Lloyd
Nick Wells, Chapman Tripp

Regional/Suburban Law Firm of the Year

BlackmanSpargo Rural Law
Henderson Reeves
Southern Legal Lawyers
Stevens Orchard Lawyers
WRMK Lawyers

Mid-size Law Firm of the Year

Harmos Horton Lusk – Corporate team
Martelli McKegg
Mayne Wetherell
Norris Ward McKinnon, Hamilton
Tompkins Wake
WRMK Lawyers

Large Law Firm of the Year

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

IN-HOUSE AWARDS

Young In-house Lawyer of the Year (35 or under)

Emily Acland, Vocus
Emma Biggs, Spark New Zealand
Tracy Finlayson, Ministry of Education
Joanna Khoo, Chubb Insurance New Zealand
Rachel O'Brien, BNZ
Megan Potter, CooperAitken
Vivian-Lee Schaaf, Auckland Council
Leah Taylor, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
Olivia Taylor, Foodstuffs
Jono Willis, Lion

In-house Lawyer of the Year

Julian Benefield, Foodstuffs North Island
Hayley Michelle Cassidy, BNZ
Stephanie Manning, Canterbury District Health Board
Jason Nichols, Fonterra
Jo Wong, SkyCity Entertainment Group

Russell McVeagh In-House Team of the Year

Auckland Council Legal Services Team
BNZ Legal Services Team
Chorus
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Legal Team
Fonterra Legal Team
Genesis Energy Legal Team
SkyCity Entertainment Group
Spark New Zealand
Vector
Vodafone New Zealand

Simpson Grierson Financial Services In-House Team of the Year

AIA New Zealand
AMP Wealth
ANZ Bank New Zealand
BNZ
Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation
Westpac

DEAL AWARDS

Debt Market Deal of the Year

Acquisition financing of Vodafone New Zealand

Banks:
ANZ Bank New Zealand, Bank of New Zealand, Citibank N.A., Commonwealth Bank of Australia, MUFG Bank, Westpac New Zealand
Firms:
Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Argosy Green Bonds issuance

Advisors:
ANZ Bank New Zealand, Forsyth Barr, Jarden and Hobson Wealth
Firms:
Dentons Kensington Swan, Russell McVeagh

Kāinga Ora – Housing New Zealand Wellbeing bonds

Banks:
ANZ Bank New Zealand, Westpac Banking Corporation
Firm:
Chapman Tripp

LGFA syndicated bond offers

Firms:
Russell McVeagh
Banks:
ANZ Bank New Zealand, Bank of New Zealand, Westpac Banking Corporation

Equity Market Deal of the Year

Infratil institutional placement and AREO

Accountants:
Deloitte, Ernst & Young
Firms:
Chapman Tripp, Simpson Grierson
Banks:
Deutsche Bank AG, New Zealand Banking Group Limited, MUFG Bank, UBS Investment Bank

Kathmandu AREO

Accountant:
Deloitte
Advisors:
Credit Suisse, Deutsche Craigs, Jarden
Firms:
Baker McKenzie, Chapman Tripp, Gadens, Gilbert + Tobin, Russell McVeagh

Napier Port IPO

Accountants:
Deutsche Craigs, Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs New Zealand
Advisors:
Craigs Investment Partners, Forsyth Barr, Flagstaff, Goldman Sachs
Firms:
Baker & McKenzie, Bell Gully, Chapman Tripp

Oceania Healthcare Holdings underwritten block trade

Banks:
Craigs Investment Partners, Jarden, Macquarie Bank
Firms:
Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh, Simpson Grierson

Serko capital raise

Banks:
Cameron Partners, Craigs Investment Partners
Firms:
Chapman Tripp, Russell McVeagh

Insolvency and Restructuring Deal of the Year

Liquidation of Exss (formerly StretchSense)

Bank:
Global from Day One
Firm:
Chapman Tripp

Receivership of Ebert Construction retention fund

Accountant:
PwC
Firm:
Simpson Grierson
Advisors:
Mike Colson (Stout Street Chambers), Rachel Pinny (Thorndon Chambers)

M&A Deal of the Year

Acquisition by Inner Mongolia Yili Group of Westland Co-operative Dairy Company

Accountants:
Deloitte
Advisors:
DG Advisory, Macquarie Capital
Banks:
Macquarie Bank, Morgan Stanley
Firms:
Allen & Overy, Bell Gully, Simpson Grierson

Apax takeover of Trade Me

Firms:
Bell Gully, King & Wood Mallesons, Mayne Wetherell, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Russell McVeagh

Macquarie acquisition of long-term concession to operate SKYCITY carparks

Advisors:
CBRE, Sanderson Weir
Firms:
Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, Mayne Wetherell, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Simpson Grierson, Webb Henderson

Sale of Fonterra’s Tip Top ice-cream business

Accountants:
Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PwC
Banks:
ANZ, Credit Suisse Group AG, Jarden
Firms:
Chapman Tripp, Clifford Chance LLP, MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Sale of Hikurangi Forest Farms to New Forests

Adviser:
Cameron Partners
Firms:
Anderson Lloyd, Bell Gully, Russell McVeagh

Vodafone New Zealand acquisition

Accountants:
Deloitte, Ernst & Young
Banks:
Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Craigs, MUFG Bank, New Zealand Banking Group, UBS Investment Bank
Firms:
Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Simpson Grierson

Mid Market Deal of the Year

Auckland Council green bonds issuance

Firm:
Mayne Wetherell

Capital Group acquisition of First Mortgage Managers

Accountants:
KPMG
Firms:
Holland Beckett Law, Russell McVeagh, Webb Henderson

GWA Group acquisition of Methven

Advisors:
Forsyth Barr, Macquarie Group
Firms:
Bell Gully, Clayton Utz, Simpson Grierson

Sale of Cin7

Firms:
Chapman Tripp, Dentons Kensington Swan, Goodman Derrick LLP, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Perkins Coie LLP

Sale of New Zealand Frost Fans

Accountant:
BDO
Advisors:
Blennerhasset Consulting
Bank:
BNZ
Firms:
MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Russell McVeagh, Webb Henderson

Spark New Zealand - New Zealand cricket rights

Firms:
MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Webb Henderson

Synlait acquisition of Dairyworks

Accountants:
BDO, KPMG
Firms:
Anthony Harper

Project Finance Deal of the Year

City Rail Link

Firms:
Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, Clayton Utz, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Russell McVeagh, Simpson Grierson
Advisors:
Auckland Council Legal Services Team, Auckland Transport In-house Legal Team, KiwiRail In-house Legal Team

Southern Cross Cable

Advisors:
Cameron Partners, PwC
Banks:
ANZ
Firms:
Applebys, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, Conyers Dill & Pearman, Harris, Iffla Wade, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP, Maberly & Co, Russell McVeagh

Waipipi Wind Farm

Firms:
Anderson Lloyd, Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, Gilbert + Tobin, Herbert Smith Freehills, Russell McVeagh

New Zealand Deal of the Year


Winners of the above listed deal categories, excluding Mid-Market Deal of the Year, will automatically become finalists for New Zealand Deal of the Year.