Industry Specialties
Other industries
Expert lawyers supporting your business
Ford Sumner are trusted advisers to clients across a wide range of industries and sectors – from technology and energy, to manufacturing and agribusiness, to healthcare and professional services. We bring sharp legal expertise plus an astute sense of the commercial realities our clients face.
Our team will quickly get to grips with your operational context and your business goals. From contracts and corporate governance, to employment and dispute resolution, we’ll clear the legal landmines for you. And for those facing complicated regulatory requirements, we’ll translate them for you into a clear compliance strategy.
Our experienced team will provide the pragmatic advice you need to keep your business moving and succeeding.
Trusted legal advisers who understand and add value to your business
With Ford Sumner Lawyers, you’ll tap into a single point of contact for all the legal services you need – from drafting contracts, to managing risks, to resolving disputes, to regulatory compliance.
Our team are trusted, responsive legal advisers who combine expertise in areas like corporate law and governance, employment law, and dispute resolution with a close understanding of the regulatory obligations and other challenges in different New Zealand industries.
So whether we’re protecting your IP, guiding you in raising capital, helping you with a tricky cross‑border transaction, or negotiating a resolution to a high-stakes dispute, you’ll find that our team provides clear, pragmatic, cost-effective advice.
Education
Ford Sumner works with clients across the education sector to help them navigate the legal and operational issues that arise in a highly regulated and constantly evolving environment.
We understand that education providers face a unique mix of governance, workforce, funding, infrastructure, and community pressures, often while managing significant change and maintaining uninterrupted delivery of services.
Our team provides practical, commercially focused advice across a range of legal disciplines, with particular strength in commercial, property, and employment law. This includes advising on contracts, procurement, leasing, construction and development projects, governance and organisational change, workplace issues, restructures, disciplinary and performance matters, health and safety, and compliance with sector-specific obligations. We also assist clients with industrial relations and collective bargaining matters, including interpretation and application of collective agreements, bargaining strategy, workforce change processes and union engagement.
By combining sector understanding with cross-practice legal expertise, we help education clients manage risk, respond to issues with confidence and make decisions that support their long-term strategic objectives.
Retail
Ford Sumner advises clients across the retail sector in New Zealand and Australia on the legal issues that arise in dynamic, customer-facing and highly competitive trading environments.
We understand that retailers operate across complex supply chains, large and often dispersed workforces, fast-moving property and leasing arrangements, and increasingly demanding consumer and regulatory expectations, while also responding to digital transformation, cost pressures, and changing market conditions.
Our commercial and property specialists advise on issues relating to:
- supply, distribution and services agreements;
- procurement and outsourcing arrangements;
- franchising and other commercial structures;
- brand protection, privacy and consumer-facing terms;
- retail and commercial leasing;
- acquisitions and disposals;
- store development and fit-out projects; and
- day-to-day property issues across retail portfolios.
Our employment law team can assist with employment and industrial relations matters, including:
- workforce management and restructures,
- collective bargaining;
- health and safety and compliance with minimum employment standards;
- workplace investigations; and
- dispute resolution.
By combining cross-practice legal expertise with an understanding of the operational realities of retail businesses, we help clients manage risk, maintain compliance and make confident decisions that support growth, resilience and long-term value.
Need industry‑specific support? Contact our team today for customised legal services that help your business thrive, no matter the sector.
Jaesen Sumner
Sarah Churstain
Paul Gillespie
