Wynn Williams > Christchurch, New Zealand > Firm Profile

Wynn Williams > Firm Profile

The firm: Wynn Williams is a full-service law firm, with an impressive team of experienced and talented lawyers delivering results for corporates, businesses, institutions and individuals, here in New Zealand and further afield.

For more than 163 years, we’ve been known for our technical excellence, straight-up advice and the strength of our client relationships. We don’t shy away from honest conversations, constructive negotiations or complex litigious matters. We’re incredibly proud of our heritage, and of the kind of honesty, experience and astute guidance we provide our clients.

You’ll find our offices in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Ōtautahi Christchurch and Tāhuna Queenstown.

Areas of practice
Litigation and dispute resolution: Wynn Williams has one of the strongest dispute resolution teams in the country, with a New Zealand-wide reputation for delivering successful results with integrity and responsibility. If you are faced with a dispute, either in your business or personal life, the team can apply its commercial insight and unrivalled experience to your case. The firm provides expertise in all areas of dispute resolution: commercial and contractual disputes; real estate and leases; contentious trusts and estates; relationship property; care of children and family; employment and health and safety; arbitration; insolvency and credit recovery; professional and product liability; judicial review and public law; intellectual property; and construction.

Insurance: Wynn Williams has for some time been an industry leader in the specialised field of insurance law. The firm’s hallmark is product knowledge. It has been involved in a number of policy revision and re-drafting programmes and commonly advises on coverage questions for all forms of property and liability lines, and reinsurance treaties. The team is regularly instructed to act in: disputes where the insurer has accepted liability and is indemnifying the insured; and disputes where the insurer’s liability is disputed over questions of policy interpretation, scope of coverage and application of exclusions or endorsements arise.

Corporate: the team advises a broad range of corporate clients, banks, financial institutions, boards and individual directors on their corporate governance-related matters which affect them on an ongoing basis. The team also advises on all aspects of their ongoing corporate affairs including company law, corporate governance, disputes with or between shareholders, directors’ duties and compliance. The team can assist with the following: capital raising; mergers and acquisitions; start-ups; and venture capital.

Environment and planning: our specialist environmental law and planning team is recognised as one of New Zealand’s best. Respected strategists, our team of experts are also proven and revered litigators. We have decades of experience in the development of resource management plans for councils throughout New Zealand – many of which have become known for setting best practice benchmarks. Admired for our innovation in planning, environmental and natural resources law, we are at the forefront of freshwater planning in New Zealand and are frequently engaged as specialist advisors in this space. With a strong grasp on the finer details of environmental law, we’re engaged by councils and industry to advise on environmental risk and responsibility and navigating the legislative framework to achieve desired outcomes.

Local government: for 163 years Wynn Williams has partnered with local government clients. Over this time, we have built a reputation for understanding the intricacies of local government and complexities of operating within the public sphere. Our team is the go-to legal service provider to two of the three largest regional councils in New Zealand and we are trusted advisors on a number of legal service panels for local authorities across the country. Today our highly experienced team is regularly sought after to advise on a vast array of local government issues and legislation – including all matters under the Local Government Act and associated legislation, the Public Works Act, Local Government (Rating) Act, the Local Government Official Information & Meetings Act and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We have experts in a range of practice areas including environment and planning, construction, property, insurance, commercial, employment and litigation.

Commercial property: the commercial property team – which includes in-house resource management specialists – is sought after by individuals, businesses, and large private and public institutions. The team has involvement in all types of commercial property projects; from retail centres and mixed use developments, to large institutional commercial property portfolios and it can assist with the following: industrial property; office property; property development; and retail property.

Construction: our specialist construction team advises some of the country’s largest construction and infrastructure companies, building owners, and local authorities. We are engaged by our clients at all stages of the construction lifecycle – from procurement, negotiation, contract administration to resolving disputes. Our genuine understanding of the construction sector, key project drivers, and risk allocation, sees us well placed to advise our clients in a strategic and solutions-focused manner.

Our team is not only experienced in all standard form contracts (such as the NZS suite, NEC4, FIDIC, Masterbuild, Certified Builders, SCC, AS) and consultancy agreements (CCCS, ACENZ, NZIA) but we also draft and advise on bespoke contracts or amended standard forms.

Restructuring and insolvency: Wynn Williams provides advice to significant national clients in this field. The firm has litigated insolvency cases at the highest levels, including the Privy Council. The team works with large lenders and the Public Trust to advise on and enforce their security position. It also provides advice in relation to complex issues in liquidation and receivership. The team regularly advises on: liquidations and receiverships; the security position of lenders; debt recovery; enforcement of personal property securities; Securities Act and Companies Office investigations.

Lawyer Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Alice Balme	Partner	View Profile
	Phoebe Davies	Partner	View Profile
	Amanda Douglas	Partner	View Profile
	Philip Maw	National Managing Partner	View Profile
	Michelle Mehlhopt	Special Counsel	View Profile
	Charlene Sell	Partner	View Profile
	Joshua Shaw	Partner	View Profile
	Emily Walton	Partner	View Profile
	Andrew Watkins	Partner specialising in Relationship Property	View Profile
	Lucy de Latour	Partner	View Profile