The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Simpson Grierson is a second tier firm,

The profile of Simpson Grierson’s debt capital markets group was recently raised by the appointment of Shelley Cave as an inaugural board member of the Financial Markets Authority. The firm also advised Local Government New Zealand on designing and establishing a local authority ‘bond bank’; and on some significant trans-Tasman private equity sponsored leveraged acquisitions, including the acquisitions of BJ Ball and Focus Paper, and the Euro Corporation.

Within Corporate and M&A, Simpson Grierson is a first tier firm,

Simpson Grierson gives ‘practical advice that best fits the situation’, and ‘clear recommendations and options’. It acted as lead legal provider to the Auckland Transition Agency and continues to act for the new entity, Auckland Council. The ‘very experienced’ Peter Hinton acted for Sleepyhead on its NZ$55m purchase of Pacific Brands’ Dunlop Foams and Sleepmaker businesses in Australia, and the sale by Sleepyhead of its Wonderlay carpet underlay assets to Pacific Brands.

Within Dispute resolution, Simpson Grierson is a second tier firm,

Simpson Grierson’s William Akel stands out as one of New Zealand’s foremost media lawyers, while Tim Stephens successfully defended Austrian oil and gas multinational OMV against a $900m claim by Todd Energy. The firm is representing an international airline in the air cargo litigation, and defended PwC as receiver in one of New Zealand’s largest farming collapses.

Within Employment, Simpson Grierson is a first tier firm,

Simpson Grierson advises a national and international client base on the full gamut of employment matters. The firm is praised for its ‘excellent business acumen and technical employment law expertise’, and its advice is ‘pragmatic, commercial and technically sound’. The firm was the exclusive employment law adviser to the Auckland Transition Agency in relation to the Supercity amalgamation, with Phillipa Muir the lead partner, and Shan Wilson represented the University of Auckland in a case involving challenges in relation to the university’s academic promotion system and the allocation of academics’ research time.

Within Intellectual property, Simpson Grierson is a first tier firm,

Simpson Grierson provides ‘very high levels of service, from response times to recommendations’, and ‘outstanding’ practice head Earl Gray has ‘great commercial acumen and an innovative approach’. The firm acts for an extensive, mostly multinational client base that includes Google, Sony Music and Novartis, and recently won Procter & Gamble’s brand protection work.

Within Projects and resource management, Simpson Grierson is a second tier firm,

Simpson Grierson has a well-established commercial projects practice, and is recommended for regulatory work. It is regularly instructed by government and state enterprises on infrastructure projects. Clients include industry corporates and major local councils.

Within Real estate and construction, Simpson Grierson is a first tier firm,

Simpson Grierson has particular strength in government and local authority work, and its ‘service is efficient, of a high quality and very quick’. Greg Towers has ‘excellent knowledge of the commercial property industry’. The firm advised Manukau Institute of Technology on the proposed NZ$350m interchange, and acted for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet on the two-year NZ$45m restoration of Government House.

Within Restructuring and insolvency, Simpson Grierson is a second tier firm,

Simpson Grierson’s lawyers are ‘extremely professional, providing very high levels of service’; ‘the quality of their work means they provide very good value for money’. The firm is at the forefront of insolvency litigation, and has experience in high-value matters in the agricultural and finance sectors. It enjoys panel memberships with Westpac and ASB Bank, and was recently appointed to the Ministry of Economic Development panel for specialist advice on technical policy issues in relation to the securities law review. James Caird was promoted to partner.

Within Tax, Simpson Grierson is a second tier firm,

Simpson Grierson advises major banks, financial institutions and corporates, as well as high-net worth individuals. Stuart Hutchinson was involved in advising the New Zealand government on its introduction of dividend imputation and international tax changes, at both policy and legislation preparation level. The firm is acting in significant tax disputes against the Inland Revenue Department on behalf of Toll Group (New Zealand) and Westpac Banking Corporation, in separate matters.