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

Testing the Limits of Collective Bargaining in New Zealand A recent legal dispute between The Athletes’ Cooperative Inc (“TAC”) and High Performance Sport New Zealand Ltd (“HPSNZ”) has tested the outer limits of New Zealand’s collective bargaining framework under the Employment Relations Act 2000 (“the Act”). The case, which journeyed from the Employment Relations Authority up to the Court of Appeal, highlights the importance of having an employment relationship when attempting to trigger collective bargaining rights. Link

Responding to Employee Privacy Requests If you’re an employer, you may at some point receive a request from an employee, or ex-employee, asking to access the personal information you hold about them. These requests are made under the Privacy Act 2020 (“Privacy Act”), which governs the collection, holding, use and disclosure of personal information. Link

Shake Up of Earthquake-Prone Building System: What It Means for Commercial Property

Shake Up of Earthquake-Prone Building System: What It Means for Commercial Property

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GrabOne Liquidation: What Are Retailers’ Legal Obligations?

Global Marketplace New Zealand Limited (“GMNZ”), which operated GrabOne, has been put into liquidation.

GMNZ’s liquidators have said the company is not in a position to provide refunds to consumers with unredeemed vouchers.

What, then, are a retailer’s rights and obligations when approached by a consumer with an unredeemed GrabOne voucher for the retailer’s business?

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To Suspend or Not to Suspend In the fast-paced world of construction, cash flow is king. But what happens when your client stops paying? Or they’re causing endless delays? For many contractors and subcontractors, the idea of suspending work seems like the obvious way to protect yourself. But pulling the pin too soon can backfire badly. Link

Managing Medical Incapacity in the Workplace

In retail, staff absences can have an immediate impact on customer service, rosters, and team morale. Prolonged employee absences due to illness or injury present legal and operational challenges. In cases where there is uncertainty about whether an employee can return to work, employers may need to assess whether the employee is medically incapacitated, and what the next steps might be. This is often a difficult and sensitive process.

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Reform Of The Holidays Act: What Employers Should Expect On 23 September 2025, the Government announced it will repeal the Holidays Act 2003 and replace it with a new Employment Leave Act. According to Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, the reforms are intended to bring simplicity, transparency and fairness to leave entitlements for both employees and employers.
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Keep the Cash Flowing – Tradie Tips to Get Paid – Part 1 Cashflow is king for any contractor — yet late payments, unclear terms, or clients who don’t pay at all can cripple your business. A good contract is your first line of defence. Here are practical tips to help you lock in better contract terms and get paid on time, every time Link

Court Issues Warning to Directors Who Misuse Retentions We can now expect to see summary judgment applications against directors of failed construction companies who misuse retention funds. The High Court has adopted the Canadian position that a director is deemed to have known of any statutory or trust requirements and will be personally liable to restore any missing retention money that should have been held in trust. Link

Insolvent and Indifferent: A Director’s Missteps and a Warning to Homeowners A recent High Court decision, Batley v MacDonald [2025] NZHC 974, has sent another clear warning to company directors across New Zealand: when a business starts to sink, misusing funds to keep the ship afloat while topping up your own interests is not an option. It is also a reminder to homeowners to take care when providing deposits on residential building contracts. Link

It’s not just the house: intellectual property in the context of separation The Supreme Court has confirmed that copyright in artworks created during a marriage is relationship property under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (PRA). Link

New Law to Stop Abusive Use of Court processes in family proceedings Some people misuse the court system not to solve real disputes, but as a tactic to harass, control, or intimidate others. Link

The Family Proceedings (Dissolution of Marriage or Civil Union for Family Violence) Amendment Act 2024 allows people with a final protection order against their spouse to dissolve a marriage or civil The Family Proceedings (Dissolution of Marriage or Civil Union for Family Violence) Amendment Act 2024 allows people with a final protection order against their spouse to dissolve a marriage or civil union without waiting for the usual two-year separation period before applying. Link

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! You’ve found your dream home, and you’re ready to make it yours. But what happens if, for one reason or another, you can’t complete settlement? 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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