Service

Investment funds & superannuation

Known for our innovative product development skills, industry knowledge, commerciality and technical expertise

To succeed in a rapidly changing, increasingly regulated and technology‑enabled industry, investment managers must continuously adapt and evolve to meet new challenges.

These include being strategically positioned to capitalise on opportunities from fast‑growing markets, developing innovative new funds, harnessing new technologies for more efficient customer experiences and having appropriate processes in place to ensure compliance with an increasingly broad spectrum of complex regulation.

We continue to help shape the investment funds market and the regulatory regime it operates in. We have been closely involved in influencing the regulation of the investment fund products and related services, including portfolio investment entities (PIEs) and KiwiSaver schemes, employer‑based retirement schemes, discretionary investment management services and financial advisers law reforms.

Our investment funds and superannuation practice is the most comprehensive in New Zealand helping clients:

  • structure and design investment products
  • developing innovative products
  • structuring tax effective PIEs
  • establishing NZX-listed Exchange Traded Funds 
  • creating limited partnership investment vehicles
  • developing other wholesale and retail fund structures.
  • Advising a range of financial service providers, including fund managers, brokers and payment providers, on developing new products in line with compliance requirements. Clients include AMP, BNZ, BT Funds Management, Fisher Funds, Nikko Asset Management, and Trust Management.
  • Acting on the New Zealand offerings of various Australian fund managers including Auscap Asset Management, Colonial First State, Fiducian Financial Services, Janus Henderson, Man Investments, Perpetual Trust Services, Russell Investment Management, and Schroders.
  • Assisting Calder Stewart form a $170m property investment fund including product design and project scoping, strategic and regulatory advice and preparation of the disclosure and other documentation.
  • Acting for Financial Services Council on the merger of Workplace Savings NZ into FSC, advice on the now‑pending Financial Markets Conduct (Restricted Schemes – Custodian Assurance Engagement) Exemption Notice 2020, and liaising with the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and industry representatives on right‑sizing obligations for restricted schemes project.
  • Helping Craigs Investment Partners establish a new limited partnership, Matai Private Equity No.1 LP, with the purpose to invest in the US$1.2b L Catterton Asia 3 fund. Advice included reviewing the offer memorandum, preparing the limited partnership agreement, tax input and establishing the limited partnership.
  • Advising Conrad Funds Management on operation of its wholesale CFML Mortgage Fund and Kiwi Residential 1st Mortgage Fund, and conversion of the CFML Mortgage Fund into a retail managed fund and assisting CFML with its engagement with the FMA in relation to the retail offering and CFML’s licence.
  • Establishing Nikko Asset Management's KiwiSaver Scheme and GoalsGetter digital advice product, including providing compliance advice.
  • Assisting Bank of New Zealand to establish the Private Wealth Series Alternative Fund and the rewrite of BNZ’s KiwiSaver offer documentation to meet the Writemark plain language standard.
Highly recommended for investment funds work.Chambers Asia Pacific 2024 | Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024