Joanna Lim

Jo is a special counsel in our commercial group, based in our Christchurch office.

She advises clients on a wide range of governance and general commercial issues, and has a specialist focus in financial sector regulatory compliance, and climate change adaptation/the emissions trading scheme (ETS).

Regulatory compliance

Jo advises clients across of a variety of sectors on regulatory compliance and preparation of documents for:

• all aspects of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, with a special interest in workplace savings schemes, licensing and derivatives;
• financial service providers, including financial advisers and brokers;
• anti-money laundering (including writing compliance documents and being involved in managing ongoing compliance for Simpson Grierson and other reporting entities); and
• insurers (including licensing, other compliance, and policy wording/advertising reviews).

Climate change and ETS

This area is an enduring passion of Jo’s and she has significant experience in advising participants and potential participants, across a range of sectors, on:

• compliance matters;
• forestry aspects;
• emission unit trading; and
• due diligence considerations.

Governance and general commercial

Jo can assist with company secretarial, establishment and ongoing governance issues for companies, co-operatives, incorporated societies, and commercial trusts (eg energy trusts, managed investment schemes). As an experienced commercial lawyer, she can also help with a broad range of business issues, and mergers/acquisitions.

Examples of Work

• Advising workplace savings schemes on compliance with the Financial Markets Conduct Act and on trust deed and member issues
• Advising on regulated offers and exclusions, licensing, derivatives, employee share schemes, exemptions, and financial adviser and broking service obligations
• Advising on anti-money laundering regulation, risk assessments and compliance programmes, including taking a lead role in developing Simpson Grierson’s AML/CFT documentation and assisting a number of financial institution reporting entities with their AML/CFT compliance
• Constitutional and governance advice for companies, incorporated societies and commercial trusts
• Supply and procurement contracts for a broad range of clients, encompassing both private and public sector
• Establishment of emsTradepoint gas trading platform and ongoing advice and assistance with rule changes, as well as advising on gas industry regulation, transmission arrangements and a range of other gas sector issues
• Advising on the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme, including participant obligations, emissions trading contracts and forestry issues
• Advising co-operative companies on co-operative issues and on the Financial Markets Conduct Act
• Advising overseas insurers and product providers on New Zealand licensing
• Reviewing insurance compliance including policy wording and advertising
• Advising on social enterprise structures and contracting