NZ Law Awards finalists revealed

The full list of finalists for the NZ Law Awards has been revealed.

The selection of firms, in-house teams and individuals highlights excellence in the legal profession at present. These finalists are to be congratulated for their outstanding achievements, innovation and leadership over the past year.

The deal awards finalists are as follows:

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

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

Equity Market Deal of the Year

Infratil institutional placement and AREO

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

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

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

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

• 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

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

The in-house awards finalists are as follows:

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

The firm awards finalists are as follows:

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

Niche Consulting Group Limited 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 Solution 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
• Emma Manohar, DLA Piper
• Emma Moran, DLA Piper
• Shane Swinerd, DLA Piper
• Nick Valentine, DLA Piper
• David Weavers, Russell McVeagh
• Wook Jin Lee, Dentons Kensington Swan

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

The winners will be revealed during the black-tie gala on 12 November at the Cordis Auckland, where the legal profession’s best and brightest will gather to celebrate each other’s efforts.

For table reservations and more event details, visit www.lawawards.co.nz or contact the team.

NZ Lawyer would like to thank their readers as well as award sponsors Western Union Business Solutions, Artemis Executive Recruitment, Russell McVeagh, Simpson Grierson, Niche Consulting Group Limited, and Resolution Institute for supporting excellence in the profession.