Ford Sumner Lawyers | Experts in Corporate, Commercial, Dispute Resolution and Employment Law

A tight team with big capability

Who we are

Ford Sumner’s focus on building strong relationships is what makes us special. Our clients trust us to get it right; because we do, many of them have worked with us since we began.

Our team collaborates to provide expert, personal and individualised service. We’re responsive, with a can-do attitude, and we always bring our ‘A’ game.

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Expertise

How can we help you?

Commercial

Whether your business needs advice on terms and conditions of supply, or agency, distribution, outsourcing or licensing agreements, we deal with all manner of commercial contracts. Read more

Corporate

Wherever your company is at in its lifecycle, we have the corporate law experts to support you. Read more

Corporate insolvency & turnaround

With expertise and experience in all aspects of corporate insolvency, our insolvency team delivers tailored, commercial advice. Read more

Insurance

We provide advice on all aspects of insurance law, our experienced team acts on disputed claims, and provides regulatory and compliance advice. Read more

Dispute Resolution

With a focus on quality and a pragmatic approach, we deliver outstanding solutions by combining in-depth commercial knowledge with technical excellence.

Mediation

Mediation is a safe and effective way to get to the heart of an issue and to explore resolution options before getting entrenched in costly battles. Read more

Employment & HR

Whether you’re an employer or employee, when you want employment advice, you need approachable experts you can trust. Read more

Investigations

When unbiased and legally robust workplace investigations are needed, our record speaks for itself. Read more

Property & Construction

In a constantly changing legislative environment, property and leasing can be challenging. Read more

Environment & Regulatory

With environmental and land use development law becoming more and more complex, our specialist team cut through the red tape, to find solutions to your problems. Read more

Government

At Ford Sumner, we're able to provide a range of services to Government clients. Read more

Family

We assist clients through this delicate area of law and focus on achieving fair, appropriate and expedient outcomes for our clients. Read more

OUR PEOPLE

Meet our team

Our team’s big enough to be experts across many fields, and small enough to know and care about each other, and our clients.

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Automated Documents

What does our legal document suite and automation software mean for our clients? Agreements to You is able to produce high-quality legal documentation in a shorter time – and with greater accuracy and less cost.

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Latest legal news

Bylaws 101: Everything you need to know about the Civil Aviation Act 2023 update to airport bylaws The Civil Aviation Act 2023 was introduced to Parliament in 2021 to repeal and replace both the Civil Aviation Act 1990 and the Airport Authorities Act 1966 with a single, modern statute. A key modernisation in the Act relates to how airport bylaws are made and amended by airport operators. Link

Take-off for the Civil Aviation Act 2023 this Saturday – Don’t miss the runway! The Civil Aviation Act 2023 comes into force on 5 April 2025 and is set to replace both the Airport Authorities Act 1966 and the Civil Aviation Act 1990 Link

New tax bills for not-for-profits: Be aware of potential changes and have your say It is widely known that not-for-profits (“NFPs”) in New Zealand receive benefits such as GST concessions and income tax deductions. That may be about to change, as Inland Revenue (“IRD”) is now considering whether NFPs should pay tax on transactions, membership subscriptions and levies. Link

When can you require an employee to be on-call for work, and when must they be compensated? Compensating an employee for working additional hours is a tricky part of the law to navigate. In the past, employers could require employees to be available for work but not pay them for it. Availability provision amendments came into force in 2016 to combat waged workers with ‘zero hour’ contracts who were required to be on call, and to accept any and all work offered by their employer. Link

Plan a Seamless Business Sale – Your Key Considerations Selling a business is a significant transaction that involves various legal, financial, and strategic considerations. Comprehensive preparation is essential for a successful outcome. Link

Why do I need a written agreement with my business partners? The recent case of Venkataramanujam v Ramasubramanian demonstrates how important it is to have a clear understanding of the obligations business partners owe each other and the point at which those obligations will end. Link

Failure to complete settlement: Don't bet against the House!

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Advice for surviving the challenges facing Wellington business owners

Advice for surviving the challenges facing Wellington business owners.

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Clear instructions are vital – Ensure Will instructions are accurately recorded The recent case of Public Trust v Fairbairn [2023] NZHC 2605 demonstrates how important it is to provide clear instructions for your Will, and for those instructions to be recorded clearly. Link

Empowering Change: The Charities Amendment Act 2023 and its Impact on Nonprofits The Charities Amendment Act 2023 has been enacted with the purpose of modernising the Charities Act 2005. The Act came into force on 5 July 2023 with some changes being immediate, and other changes being implemented on 5 October 2023 and 5 July 2024. Link

Retentions must be returned - the High Court confirms Retentions under a subcontract are held on trust by the head contractor for the benefit of the subcontractor. If retentions are withheld, contingent on anything other than the subcontractor’s performance, they must be released immediately, as this is considered void and unenforceable. Link

Duty to Warn: When is a contractor is responsible for design choices made by an owner? A duty to warn is when a party may be held liable for damage or loss caused to another where the party had an opportunity to warn the other of the issues and failed to do so. Link

Court takes Uber for joyride: but Government pulls the handbrake The Court of Appeal has found four drivers were employees of Uber when they were logged into the Uber driver app. Link

Understanding Covenants: A Case Study and Legal Insight

What is a covenant? A covenant is a legally binding agreement registered on a property’s title, dictating how land can be used or what can be built on it.

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Make safe your retentions by injunction - a timely remedy when developers are in trouble

It’s one thing to have the comfort of knowing your retentions are held on a statutory trust, but who is really holding them for you, the developer or the lender, and what is the risk that they have been spent or that the funding has been exhausted?

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Building your own home or investment property – Remember the fine print! More New Zealanders are opting to build their own homes or investment properties. While the prospect of building your own home is exciting, with recent news regarding skyrocketing building costs, we recommend you tread carefully and seek legal advice before entering into a building contract. Link

New High Court Decision on Right Of Way Easements In a recent High Court case, an order was made compelling the owner of a private driveway to allow their neighbour to install a new gate on that driveway. This decision, made in response to a dispute between Ruby & Rata Ltd (“Ruby”) and the Eagle Trust, highlights the importance of carefully reviewing the record of title for a property prior to the purchase of land and clarifies the rights of grantees of rights of way to install new entry points as these may be reasonable for use by a grantee. Link

In a groundbreaking move, the Commerce Commission has filed charges against two construction companies and their directors. Upholding Fair Competition: First Prosecution of Criminal Cartel Conduct in New Zealand Link

Shaking Grounds and Safety Obligations: Navigating Earthquake-Prone Buildings with Legal Insight When considering next steps for addressing earthquake-prone buildings, building owners must be aware of the obligations they have under not only the Building Act 2004 (“the Building Act”), but also as Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBUs) under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (“the Health and Safety at Work Act”), particularly when the building is occupied. Link

Bulletproof your Business: Tips for Protecting Growth and Success As you develop your business, it's important to protect yourself and your business for successful growth. Tips we discuss in this article include choosing the right business structure, safeguarding business and personal assets, and documenting business plans early. These steps will help lay the right business foundation, safeguard your interests and prepare you for the unexpected. Link

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Our Community

Connecting with each other is vital to all of us, and at Ford Sumner our community’s central to who we are.

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Our Community

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If you would like to discuss more, share feedback or ask any questions, please get in touch. We’re here to help.

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