The Legal 500 > Asia Pacific > New Zealand > Transport (rail, road, air and sea)

Bell Gully has a long-standing transport practice and significant experience of aviation, road, rail and maritime matters. The firm advises leading airlines, government agencies, infrastructure developers and ports. It is also one of the key firms advising Te Tupu Ngātahi – the Supporting Growth Alliance – on route protection of the transportation network required to service the next 30 years of Auckland’s growth. Department leader Torrin Crowther in Auckland is a competition law specialist who advises key transport sector clients including Air New Zealand. Among the key partners in Wellington are resource management specialist Andrew Beatson and infrastructure expert Hugh  Kettle, who count Auckland Transport and NZ Transport Agency among their clients, and David Chisnall who handles the structuring, procurement and delivery of large-scale construction and development projects.

Buddle Findlay's advises clients in the transport sector on regulation and policy, resource management, property, construction, commercial and procurement issues, and employment law. Its acts for both private and public sector clients, and is one of three firms on the panel of the New Zealand Transport Agency, which is responsible for delivery state highway projects. In addition, it assists numerous district and regional councils with a wide range of legal matters related to local road and other transport networks. Firm chair Paul Beverley in Wellington and resource management partner Pat Mulligan in Auckland lead the practice, which hired leading light Tom Bennett from Bell Gully. Bennett has almost 20 years' experience in advising key clients Auckland Transport and Auckland Council on the procurement and development of public transport services and infrastructure. Former aviation contact Frank Porter left to launch Frank Porter Co in December 2018.

Dentons Kensington Swan's national infrastructure practice brings together skills in includes construction and major projects, environment, planning and Property to assist with strategic transport projects throughout New Zealand. It is involved in the development of roads, ferry terminals, water reservoirs, bridges, public transport, cycling infrastructure and port infrastructure. The firm has played a key role in many PPPs undertaken in the New Zealand since 2010, and it is the only firm to be on the panel of both the NZ Transport Agency and Auckland Transport. Infrastructure project specialist Paul Buetow and property partner Matthew Ockleston in Auckland and, in Wellington, environment and planning expert Nicky McIndoe lead the practice.

Anthony Harper's logistics and transport practice has a specialist, multi-disciplinary team with in-depth knowledge of multi-modal shipping. In this area, the firm provides a full-service offering to the industry, dealing with both contentious and non-contentious issues, which encompasses work on port services arrangements including marine services, stevedoring, provedoring, container depot and cargo handling services; the procurement of fuel, tug and pilot vessels and major container and cargo handling equipment; transportation, warehousing and distribution and supply chain agreements; and freight forwarding contractual arrangements. Chris Dann in Christchurch leads the practice and he has more than 19 years' experience in the logistics, transport and shipping sectors, as well as in-house experience at the Exel Plc, which was then the world's largest logistics company.

Chapman Tripp has a broad-ranging transport practice that handles the funding, procurement and establishment of road, rail, sea and air transport infrastructure for government agencies, airports, port companies and shipping operators. Among its clients are the New Zealand Transport Agency, Auckland International Airport, Queenstown Airport Corporation, Christchurch International Airport and Lyttelton Port Company. It draws on the experience of its environment and resource management specialist Jo Appleyard in Christchurch and, in Auckland, Paula Brosnahan and Catherine Somerville-Frost. Litigator John Knight is recognised as a leading expert in insurance, maritime law and resource management disputes.

Hesketh Henry in Auckland has a dedicated transport and trade practice that acts for clients in the maritime, logistics and commodities sectors. Its range of services includes employment, health and safety, insurance, property and regulatory issues, as well as transportation contracts and disputes. The firm also acts for international shipping clients, particularly those based in Singapore and the Middle East. Simon Cartwright focuses on marine insurance, charterparty disputes, shipbuilding and repair, transactional shipping and international trade, while leading marine insurance partner Alan Sherlock focuses on cargo, hull and equipment damage claims. The firm recently hired consultant Ruth Allcoat from HFW, where she built up extensive transactional maritime experience for both commercial shipping and yachting clients.

Maritime law, transport law and dispute resolution services are core elements of the practice at Lowndes in Auckland, which acts for ship operators and other transport operators and their insurers. It also advises clients in the luxury boat and aviation sectors, and assists with commercial matters such as ship sale and purchase and re-flagging. For the last eight years, much of leading light Michael McCarthy's practice was focused on the extensive litigation and commercial work spinning out of the Rena shipwreck, which was one of the largest pieces of litigation ever seen in New Zealand and the second largest salvage operation in the world. McCarthy is one of the most experienced shipping lawyers in New Zealand, and he is supported by litigation principal Tim Jeffcott.

Russell McVeagh has a broad transport practice, covering airport and port operators, rail and road transport. The firm counts Ports of Auckland, Auckland International Airport and KiwiRail among its clients. Chair of the firm's environment, planning and natural resources group Daniel Minhinnick in Auckland and Wellington-based Mei Fern Johnson lead the practice. The firm has a long track record of acting for leading national and international airlines, as well as domestic airports; assisting port operators and maritime clients with projects and commercial matters; and advising on the development of major road and rail projects across New Zealand.