For All Areas

Construction

We are specialist construction lawyers. We are not property lawyers who dabble in construction contracts; we specialise in drafting construction contracts. We are not litigators who dabble in construction disputes; we specialise in resolving construction disputes. Our construction group has a depth and breadth of experience unrivalled by any other law firm in the country.

We understand the construction industry. We have in-depth experience, gained from many decades advising on construction projects, contracts, and disputes. Our experience covers all industry sectors, including telecommunications, roading and transport, water and waste water, oil and gas, solid waste, energy, mining, tunnelling, and building (including commercial, residential, and public properties).

We have been involved in many, if not most, major construction projects in New Zealand. We have also advised clients on a number of international projects. We have experience in the United Kingdom, Australia, Fiji and the South Pacific, South-East Asia, and Africa.

We advise on all aspects of construction projects, from the early stages of planning, financing, structuring, documentation, and procurement through to commissioning and final completion.

A key speciality is advising both public and private sector clients on public private partnerships (PPPs).

We also advise clients on innovative methods of procurement and contract structuring. We regularly assist clients to develop and implement partnering, alliancing, and other collaborative working initiatives.

We have expertise in all aspects of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, adjudication, and dispute review boards. This complements our extensive experience with traditional forums for disputes, such as arbitration and litigation.

As we are part of one of the country’s largest law firms, we can at any stage call on our colleagues' expertise to assist with resource consent, planning, regulatory, property, finance, tax, information technology, energy, local government, competition, and commercial law issues.

View Our Experience

Our Experience

  • Victoria Quarter development - $1 billion+ project involving over 20 mixed use commercial, retail and residential building in the Victoria Quarter adjacent to the Auckland central business district
  • Transpower - North Island 400kV overhead transmission line project, including drafting both the Interim Project Alliance Agreement and the Project Alliance Agreement for procurement of this project on a "competitive alliance" basis (the first competitive alliance in New Zealand)
  • Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority - advising on demolition strategy and preparing associated documents
  • Christchurch City Council - advising on contractual issues arising out of the Christchurch earthquakes
  • Christchurch International Airport - $200 million international terminal expansion project
  • Auckland City Council - public private partnership for the $80 million Vector Arena (a 12,000-seat indoor stadium delivered on a PPP/BOOT basis), including drafting the Concession Deed and associated documents
  • Auckland City Council - contract documentation for the $133 million upgrade of the Auckland Art Gallery
  • Waihi Gold - Project Alliance Agreements with Leighton Contractors for development of the new Favona underground mine in Waihi
  • Mt Smart Stadium - disputes about the reconstruction
  • Christchurch City Council - disputes arising from a pipeline contract
  • Waihi gold mine - project disputes (resolved via mediation)
  • Coca-Cola Amatil NZ - expansion of its facilities in Auckland
  • Energex - various head contracts and subcontract agreements
  • Toll (NZ) - rail facility contracts
  • Housing New Zealand - refurbishment of the 9 Talbot Park tower block apartments and associated residential developments
  • Tabua Investments - advising the Denarau Island developer on its Golf Terrace Apartments, Sheraton Denarau Villas and Denarau Beach Resort projects
  • North Shore City Council - $32 million Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade and associated outfall project
  • Rodney District Council - Whangaparaoa Trunk pipeline
  • Christchurch City Council - $80 million sewage outfall project
  • Waitaki District Council - water treatment plant upgrade project
  • Wellington City Council and Hutt City Council' - water management contracts for Abigroup (NZ)
  • Manukau Wastewater Services (an international joint venture) - Project Manukau, a $470 million wastewater treatment plant at Manukau Harbour (New Zealand's largest, and one of the world's largest, capacity water treatment plants of its type)
  • Ministry for the Environment - Mapua land decontamination project
  • Tranz Rail - $22 million double tracking of the central railway line through Auckland
  • Consortium of NZ Transport Agency, Manukau City Council and Auckland City Council on the $4 billion Eastern Transport Corridor Project
  • Swift Energy New Zealand - Kauri A to Kauri B Pipeline project
  • Newmont Waihi - new Favona gold mine in Waihi
  • Auckland City Council - $200 million+ Britomart Transport Centre project and Britomart above-ground redevelopment contract involving heritage restoration and new developments in down town Auckland totalling over $350 million+
  • Department of Corrections - advising on the long term alliance and associated contracts, including construction, of its Regional Prisons Development project (including four major regional prisons to be developed over the next seven years)
  • Fletcher Construction - Free Flow Alliance established for the Grafton Gully to Central Motorway Junction in Auckland
  • Tauranga City Council - long term alliance for the development and operation of the City's Aquatic facilities including construction of a major indoor facility
  • The Second Manapouri Tailrace Tunnel - advising Meridian Energy on all documentation and resolving significant ground conditions claims via Dispute Review Board on one of the world's largest hard rock tunneling projects
  • Transit New Zealand (now NZ Transport Agency) and North Shore City Council (now Auckland Transport) - $200 million+ Northern Busway project
  • North Shore City Council - $100 million+ mixed use (car park/residential/commercial/retail) development in Takapuna
  • Counties Manukau District Health Board - new car park building for Middlemore Hospital (PPP/DBFO) , including drafting the Concession Deed and associated documents
  • Ericsson Communications - Aqualink project involving installation of 700 kms of submarine fibre optic cable from Christchurch to Wellington to Auckland
  • Solid Energy New Zealand - development of the Stockton Coal Mine and long term alliance for the development of the mining areas on the Stockton plateau
  • Counties Manukau District Health Board - $100 million modernisation redevelopments at Middlemore Hospital, including KidzFirst Childrens Hospital, an acute hub providing an emergency care centre, a coronary care centre, staff facilities and energy centre, and Manukau Surgical Hospital
  • Developing standard tender and contract documentation for numerous organisations, including NZ Transport Agency, Auckland City Council, Fletcher Construction, North Shore City Council, Rodney District Council, South Auckland Health, and Ericsson Communications
  • Advising numerous local authorities, developers and contractors on the Building Act, Construction Contracts Act and other recent legislation affecting the industry
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Michael Weatherall

Michael Weatherall Property & Infrastructure Partner

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