FYI:
Overseas Investment – A new threshold for New Zealand investments by Australian investors
14 Feb 2013
Overseas investors are currently required to obtain consent from the Overseas Investment Office before making any investment in "significant business assets", "sensitive land", or "fishing quota" in New Zealand...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Select Committee reports back on company law changes
19 Dec 2012
Significant company law changes moved one step closer in December when the Commerce Committee reported back on the Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment Bill...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Andrews v ANZ: A fundamental shift in the approach to break fees
17 Dec 2012
A recent decision of the High Court of Australia in Andrews v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited has expanded the scope of the common law penalty doctrine to include payments stipulated for events other than breach of contract...
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Law Guides:
Doing Business in New Zealand
15 Dec 2012
We have many years of experience in providing advice to multinational firms and their professional advisers on all aspects of doing business in New Zealand.
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism - More than just a Bank and Casino Issue
05 Nov 2012
If you think about how criminals might conduct money laundering, or the financing of terrorism, the first associations that come to mind are cash transactions with banks and casinos. But this devious behaviour can, in fact, be layered throughout the whole financial services sector...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Financial Markets Conduct Bill: Proceed with Due Care
14 Sep 2012
The most significant reform of securities law in a generation moved a step closer recently, when the Commerce Select Committee reported back on the Financial Markets Conduct Bill...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Financial Markets Authority and External Reporting Board Levies
26 Jun 2012
A number of levies are to be introduced to help fund the Financial Markets Authority and the External Reporting Board...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – FMA Issues Final Guidance Note on Securities Offering Documents
18 Jun 2012
The Financial Markets Authority has now released its final guidance note on effective disclosure. The guidance is relevant to all issuers of securities to the public in New Zealand and their directors and advisers...
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FYI:
Overseas Investment – Lessons from the Crafar Consent
03 May 2012
The Government has, for the second time, approved Shanghai Pengxin Group’s purchase of 16 dairy farms, known as the Crafar farms...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – FMA Issues Revised Guidance on Securities Offering Documents
11 Apr 2012
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has released its revised guidance note on effective disclosure for prospectuses and investment statements...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Clear, Concise and Effective: Draft FMA Guidance On Securities Offering Documents
05 Mar 2012
The Financial Markets Authority recently released a draft guidance note on effective disclosure...
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FYI:
Overseas Investment – Implications of the Crafar Decision
21 Feb 2012
The High Court has set aside the Government's consent to Shanghai Pengxin Group's purchase of 16 dairy farms around the North Island of New Zealand, known as the Crafar farms...
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FYI:
Corporate Governance – Company Incorporation Changes - One Step Closer
26 Sep 2011
The Government is concerned that individuals and groups are using New Zealand companies to conduct criminal activity from overseas. This threatens New Zealand's international reputation. Changes to the New Zealand company registration process are one step closer, following the recent release (on 19 September) of a Cabinet paper...
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FYI:
Employment Law – KiwiSaver Version 5 - the Only Constant is Change
23 May 2011
Last week's Budget confirmed the Government's forewarning that changes would be made to KiwiSaver, the fifth variation to the scheme since its inception...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Securities Law Review - Significant Decisions Made
18 Mar 2011
The Government's financial sector reform programme took a further step forward on 17 March 2011, with the announcement of Cabinet's decisions on the review of New Zealand's securities laws...
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Feature Article:
Simplifying Trans-Tasman Investment
15 Mar 2011
The New Zealand and Australian Governments signed an Investment Protocol in February 2011. The protocol aims to cut the amount of red tape involved in investment between the two countries. This article provides background on the Investment Protocol, and briefly explains how it will work in practice...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Financial Markets Authority - Another Step Closer
14 Mar 2011
The creation of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) advanced another step on 1 March 2011, when the legislation governing the FMA was reported back from Select Committee...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Simplifying Trans-Tasman Investment: Another Small Step
09 Mar 2011
The New Zealand and Australian Governments signed an Investment Protocol in February 2011. The protocol aims to cut the amount of red tape involved in investment between the two countries. This article provides background on the Investment Protocol, and briefly explains how it will work in practice...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Continuous Disclosure - Further Developments
08 Mar 2011
Continuous disclosure requirements are in the spotlight in New Zealand and Australia. Last month we updated you on the New South Wales Court of Appeal overturning a decision involving the James Hardie Group...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – James Hardie Appeal - Australian Lesson for New Zealand Directors
18 Feb 2011
A recent decision of the New South Wales Court of Appeal overturned an earlier decision against directors of James Hardie. Comments made by the Court may be relevant to future New Zealand decisions on directors' duties, given the similarities between New Zealand and Australian legislation...
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FYI:
Overseas Investment – New Directives for Overseas Investment in New Zealand Farms
17 Dec 2010
The Government released draft regulations and a Ministerial directive letter in relation to overseas investment in New Zealand farms on 9 December 2010. The regulations and directive letter are expected to come into effect on 13 January 2011...
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FYI:
Overseas Investment – Changes to the New Zealand Overseas Investment Regime
06 Oct 2010
Changes to New Zealand’s overseas investment regime were announced on 27 September 2010 by the Minister of Finance the Hon Bill English. The changes stem from the Government’s recently completed review of New Zealand’s overseas investment laws, and are due to come into effect in December 2010...
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Feature Article:
Budget 2010 - A Fresh Perspective
08 Jun 2010
The theme for Budget 2010 was well signalled. Significant changes were expected...
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Feature Article:
Budget 2010 - A Fresh Perspective
The theme for Budget 2010 was well signalled. Significant changes were expected. The Tax Working Group, an independent group established in May 2009 and supported by Minister of Finance, Hon Bill English and the Minister of Revenue, Hon Peter Dunne, presented a set of core tax policy recommendations to the Government. By and large the recommendations were well rationalised and acted as a catalyst for the changes announced in Budget 2010.
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FYI:
Financial Services – The New and Improved Financial Advisers' Regime - Answers to Key Questions
17 May 2010
The Government announced significant changes to the new financial advisers' regime at the end of April 2010. These changes address many concerns raised with the proposed regime. The regime is not now due to be fully implemented until 30 June 2011...
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FYI:
Financial Services
The Government announced significant changes to the new financial advisers' regime at the end of April 2010. These changes address many concerns raised with the proposed regime. The regime is not now due to be fully implemented until 30 June 2011.
This FYI highlights the potential impact of the changes for the financial services industry.
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FYI:
Insurance – Changes to the regulation of insurers in New Zealand
11 Dec 2009
The Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Bill (Bill) had its first reading in Parliament on 82009. The Bill has been sent to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee for submissions...
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FYI:
Insurance
The Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Bill (Bill) had its first reading in Parliament on 82009. The Bill has been sent to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee for submissions. The Bill will significantly change how insurers are regulated in New Zealand and will replace most of the current regulation of the insurance industry...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Financial adviser rules pass with strong bipartisan support
07 Oct 2008
New rules relating to the New Zealand finance industry have been passed by Parliament...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Limited Partnership Regime
01 Jun 2008
On 2 May 2008, the Limited Partnership Act 2008 (the Act) came into force introducing into New Zealand the limited partnership legal structure...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory
On 2 May 2008, the Limited Partnership Act 2008 (the Act) came into force introducing into New Zealand the limited partnership legal structure. Already commonly used overseas, limited partnerships allow investors to enjoy the benefit of a separate legal personality and limited liability protection, but preserve the tax and confidentiality advantages associated with partnerships generally. This note describes the key features and advantages of a limited partnership...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Heightened compliance and disclosure measures for the financial sector
28 Feb 2008
A number of significant changes are about to be made to the regime that regulates financial advisers in New Zealand...
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FYI:
Corporate Advisory – Voluntary Administration
01 Sep 2007
Corporate insolvency in New Zealand will soon be radically affected by the introduction of a voluntary administration regime. The reforms will impact greatly on creditors, who will be unable to enforce debts against companies in administration,...
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