Sector

Government

Partnering with all organisations across New Zealand’s public sector

State sector agencies operate in a complex environment where they are expected to engage in significant commercial activities while fulfilling an ever-growing list of public sector obligations.

Decision makers need to be aware of and understand all decisions made by government and regulators including impacts from wide‑ranging public sector reforms.

Clients ask us to provide advice and guidance to develop statutory decision‑making frameworks, often in high profile or challenging circumstances. We also advise on outcomes‑based contracting models and commissioning so Government can deliver better services and improved social outcomes; such as 'pathfinder projects' like social bonds, Whānau Ora commissioning agency arrangements and developing the Streamlined Contracting Framework for use with NGOs.

Recognised as market leaders in complex and novel transactions, our team is regularly called on to act as trusted advisors to organisations across every tier of the public sector providing advice on:

  • policy and law reform
  • day-to-day commercial contracting and procurement
  • high value contracts and commercial transactions
  • corporate transactions (mergers and acquisitions, disposals, takeovers)
  • large-scale infrastructure and PPP projects
  • funding and financing
  • restructuring and insolvencies
  • property and leasing
  • data use and privacy
  • dispute resolution.

Advising:

  • Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency on a wide range of governance, delegations, statutory powers and funding issues
  • Ministry of Education on the Government’s decision in 2017 to remove the Partnership School/Kura Hourua (charter schools) model from the education system
  • Ministry of Health on the circa $1.5b Dunedin Hospital redevelopment project (demolition, refurbishment and new build) – the single biggest hospital build ever in New Zealand
  • GNS Science on a new legislative framework reflecting its extended public good role in providing natural hazard warnings to the New Zealand public
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) on the Provincial Growth Fund investments and structuring matters
  • MBIE on hosting arrangements for the 36th America’s Cup in 2021
  • the Crown on the sale of FairWay Resolution to its management and employees for $6.5m
  • Parliamentary Services on procurement processes and contracts including its building and construction services associated with its significant existing building asset base
  • Crown Irrigation Investments on structuring, funding and all other legal aspects of its project financing for major regional irrigation projects
  • Ministry of Education on its schools construction programme run by its Education Infrastructure Service and National Transportables Programme for the procurement of transportable modular classrooms
  • Ministry of Health on the circa $1b redevelopment of the Burwood and Christchurch Hospitals (demolition, refurbishment and new build) – collectively New Zealand's largest ever health facility construction programme
  • Social Investment Agency on various advisory matters
  • Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, on its procurement of and ongoing contracts with three Whānau Ora Commissioning agents.
Ranked Tier One for public law; corporate and commercial; banking and finance; dispute resolution; and technology, media and telecommunications work.Chambers Asia Pacific 2022

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