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Doing business in New Zealand

Providing clear commercial advice to help you mitigate your risks and maximise your investment

Aotearoa (New Zealand) is one of the most open economies in the world but there are rules and regulations for doing business here. We can help you understand and interpret these regulations, some of which are unique to our cultural environment.

When you engage Chapman Tripp as your legal advisors you have access to our multi-disciplinary team, so you only need to deal with one firm. We’ll help you with everything from efficiently structuring and establishing your business, making investments and entering into joint ventures, to operating your business and executing a successful sale or other exit strategy.

Our national, full-service team helps international organisations navigate New Zealand’s regulations including:

  • obtaining Overseas Investment Office and other regulatory consents
  • mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and capital markets transactions
  • establishing companies and subsidiaries, together with advice on cross-border and internal tax implications for foreign organisations
  • buying and developing real estate and commercial property
  • advice on our environmental and resource management law
  • New Zealand Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi requirements.

Read our Doing Business in New Zealand guide

  • Acting for overseas banks operating in New Zealand including establishing a domestic TCD programme for MUFG Bank – marking the entry of the first Japanese bank issuer into the New Zealand market.
  • Advising on Overseas Investment Office applications for many international clients in the sectors of agribusiness, real estate (including residential development), forestry, tourism, dairy and food. One such organisation we assisted was Shanghai Pengxin on its acquisition of the former Synlait Farms and its high profile purchase of over 7,800 hectares of substantial dairy farming assets.
  • Advising on significant cross-border merger and acquisition deals involving international parties including Paris-based Ingenico Group’s $190m acquisition of Paymark, New Zealand's largest electronics payments network.
  • Advising major international clients on large-scale development and construction projects, including Fu Wah and the development entity Auckland Hotel Investments on the new international standard 5-star hotel on the Auckland waterfront development.

New Zealand Law Firm of the Year 2023

KangaNews Awards

M&A Deal of the Year 2023

New Zealand Law Awards

Equity Market Deal of the Year 2023

New Zealand Law Awards

Mid-Market Deal of the Year 2023

New Zealand Law Awards

Project Finance Deal of the Year 2023

New Zealand Law Awards

New Zealand Deal Firm of the Year 2023

Australasian Law Awards