The culture and behavioural governance of the board and executive may often be at the nexus of organisational failure.

Did you register a pre-existing security interest when the Personal Property Securities Act came into force in 2002? If you did, that registration will expire automatically without warning from the Registry at the end of its five year term on 1 May 2007 unless you renew it first.

When determining what type of sale may be the most appropriate, you will need to examine the business in question.

This increased activity shows the FMA is prepared to flex its regulatory muscle and use significant enforcement powers.

The Limited Partnerships Bill was recently introduced into Parliament and has now been referred to the Commerce Committee. Public submissions close on 5 October.

If recent securities law reform proposals are adopted, the new Financial Markets Authority (FMA) will have the power to enforce core directors’ duties and to initiate civil actions on behalf of investors

Explores legal risks and situations when a company director may be personally liable for the company's actions.

A recent NZ Court of Appeal decision confirms that a promise may become binding, even when it is non-contractual.

Administrators can be appointed by the directors of the company, the court or a secured creditor. But can a liquidator appoint himself or herself as administrator of the same company?

In New Zealand, a majority shareholder cannot force a minority shareholder to sell their shares to them.

New Zealand is a country with a thriving economy that consistently ranks as one of the top jurisdictions in the world for ease of doing business.

Following changes brought into effect by the Personal Property Securities Act 1999 last year, you cannot rely solely on a retention of title clause to secure your interest in goods.

The emphatic rejection by the District Court of all charges against the "Feltex Five" is a useful reminder of the protections the law offers directors provided they have been diligent in the discharge of their duties.

The achievement of a single economic market and a seamless trans-Tasman operating environment for business will depend primarily on the executive and legislative arms of government - but also contain implications for the judiciary.

The existence of shareholders' pre-emptive rights will affect the process by which your startup company can issue shares.

What to do before you buy a business in NZ.

A licensing agreement lets one business use intellectual property another business owns, without transferring ownership. Companies in the same group in New Zealand often share a brand or a system with nothing in writing. Each company remains a separate legal entity under the Companies Act 1993, regardless of who owns the shares. An undocumented arrangement gives the user no right it can prove and no right it can defend. That gap shows up when a shareholder falls out, an entity sells, or a liquidator arrives.

Over the last few months, two modern slavery reporting bills have been introduced in New Zealand. In this post, we discuss those bills, as well as the possible path forward for corporate modern...

Article lists key points and tips to help you make an informed decision when purchasing a business in New Zealand.

This article sets out some of the key steps to starting your own small business in New Zealand.