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International law

Providing international consultancy, dispute resolution and transactional services across Asia Pacific

Regarded as New Zealand’s leading international law team, we handle complex and sensitive matters that raise international challenges.

We're currently drawing on our dedicated expertise in international trade law, international arbitration and cross-border disputes, and international transactions to navigate the complex challenges from COVID-19.

The only major New Zealand law firm to offer a dedicated international arbitration team; our firm is ranked by Global Arbitration Review as one of the top 100 practices worldwide and we're experienced in arbitrations under all major institutional arbitral institutions and rules. Nicola Swan is recognised as a leading advisor by Who’s Who Legal 2021 and a rising star by Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021.

Our extensive government and private sector experience, means we can develop, broker and oversee solutions across the broad sphere of international law disciplines including:

  • international arbitration
  • international trade and investment matters
  • public international law, including state immunity, treaty interpretation, international territorial disputes, international environmental law, fisheries law and law of the sea
  • cross-border litigation and private international law
  • international transactions and major projects
  • international sanctions
  • sector strengthening, policy and law reform
  • international climate change and climate risk
  • international human rights.
  • Advising the World Bank on investment law and regulation in several Pacific Islands jurisdictions including reviewing data on investment trends by country and sector, and drafting a new Investment Law for a Pacific Island nation.
  • Advising the government of eight Pacific Islands to enable them to ratify and implement PACER Plus.
  • Representing industry in trade remedies investigations, including a successful High Court challenge against a Government decision declining to impose countervailing duties on Chinese steel.
  • Assisting an industry association in discussions with the Government by providing advice on the WTO consistency of certain measures by major trading partners.
  • Advising a New Zealand company on the public international law implications of an international territorial dispute upon the company’s rights to secure title to goods and human rights impacts on businesses engaged in the supply chain.
  • Acting for Fonterra in a significant commercial UNCITRAL arbitration in Singapore, brought by French food company Danone, as well as in ancillary court proceedings in New Zealand.
  • Representing Orange H Group and its subsidiary company H Infrastructure (formerly Hawkins Infrastructure) in Singapore international arbitration proceedings relating to two Indonesian geothermal projects.
  • Acting in the first bilateral investment treaty arbitration hearing held in New Zealand.
  • Advising businesses on international sanctions risk and compliance including designing web software.
  • Advising on the implications of sanctions including those on Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.
  • Advising the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility on cybersecurity reform across 14 jurisdictions.
  • Assisting with utility and application of international legal frameworks in Pacific Islands jurisdictions, including in cybersecurity and e-transactions.
  • Helping the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and the Governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Nauru and Kiribati on fisheries development and joint venture fishing arrangements.
  • Advising the Government of the Marshall Islands on the institutional strengthening of its telecommunications sector.
  • Helping the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia establish an independent telecommunications regulator.
  • Assisting the Government of Nauru to meet its commitments to the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes.
  • Advising multiple Boards of well-known New Zealand companies and major financial institutions on climate risk, including from global climate change litigation.
  • Representing Fonterra Cooperative Group, Z Energy and Dairy Holdings in the first climate change-related litigation filed in New Zealand against corporate emitters citing New Zealand’s international obligations.
Distinguished for representing government bodies and private entities on commercial, investment and regulatory issues across a range of territories including Samoa, Tonga and Solomon Islands.Chambers Global

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