Public & Administrative Law

As the leading suppliers of legal services to local authorities and a range of public bodies in New Zealand, we have unsurpassed experience in public and administrative law. Our expertise ranges from the day-to-day operation of councils in their statutory and political environments, to the highest level strategic developments affecting local government as a whole.

On a daily basis, our legal experts provide advice on the full range of current local government legislation to most local authorities throughout New Zealand. This means we are regularly involved in submissions on new legislation and policy initiatives and work closely with a number of industry groups, such as Local Government New Zealand and the Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM). Our experts are members of a number of Law Society committees which review and advise on legislation.

We provide policy and statutory interpretation advice, and legislative drafting services, and also advise on policy development and legislation strategy. We have been involved in the drafting of a number of significant statutes, such as the Resource Management Act and the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act, and local legislation.

Increasingly, we also represent business clients in their dealings with central and local government. This includes representations to Ministers and officials, and New Zealand government departments. It also includes appearances before Select Committees and inquiries, and a host of other forums in which business comes into contact with the machinery of government.

We provide strategic legal advice on government processes in such areas as analysis of new legislation, assessment of policy considerations, and contacts with ministerial and government groups, industry and sector representatives, and other advisers to government.