Insights | Legal Insights | Cooney Lees Morgan Tauranga | NZ

Are Your Company’s Shares in Order?

It’s a simple question, but one that many company owners can’t answer with confidence. Most assume that the shareholder details on the Companies Office website are all they need. It is a surprise for some to learn that every New Zealand company must also keep its own share register, and failing to do so can...

Employment team

The Company Record you Can’t Afford to Overlook

It is easy to overlook, but every company is legally required to keep and maintain an interests register. This is a document that discloses certain benefits or conflicts of interest a director may have in relation to the company. The Companies Act 1993 says the register should be kept at the company’s registered office, alongside...

What Can Shareholders Really Ask For

You receive an email from a shareholder requesting company information. The request seeks the management accounts, bank statements and board minutes of the company for the last 20 years. Do you have to provide them? Section 178 of the Companies Act 1993 gives shareholders a broad right to request information held by a company. However,...

High Court Sends a Clear Warning to Landowners

Weather Events, Known Risks and Neighbour Liability A recent High Court decision is likely to have implications for rural landowners, orchard owners, developers and anyone responsible for land affected by erosion, drainage issues or slope instability. In Larsen v Runes Investments Pty Ltd [2026] NZHC 2586, the High Court confirmed that a landowner may be...

The Law Between Laws

A faster transition, but not an immediate repeal of the RMA There are two new Acts that will replace the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA): the Planning Bill, which regulates land use and development, and the Natural Environment Bill, which regulates the use, protection and enhancement of natural resources. Royal Assent was the final legislative...

RMA Overhaul: What New Planning and Environmental Laws Mean For You

Parliament has just passed New Zealand’s most significant shake-up of resource management law in 35 years. The new Planning Act and Natural Environment Act will replace the Resource Management Act and reshape how we manage land use, development and environmental protection. The reforms now enter a four-year transition. Elements of the old and new systems...

Aged Care in New Zealand Is Facing a Major Shake-Up

New Zealand’s population is ageing rapidly, and a newly released government report recommends significant changes to ensure aged-care services remain sustainable and accessible in the future. Read the report here: A Place to Grow Old: Securing the future of aged care | Ministry of Health NZ The report identifies that the current aged care system...

Unlock Your Property’s Potential: A Guide to Subdividing

Subdivision can be an effective way to unlock the value of your property, whether your goal is to sell part of your land, build additional dwellings, create investment opportunities, or transfer land to family members. Subdivision projects involve a number of legal, planning, and technical steps, with different professionals playing important roles throughout the process....

Humble Right of Way gets all the way to the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of New Zealand is preparing to issue its judgment in the case of Wimax New Zealand Limited (Wimax) v Fuge, a long running neighbour dispute concerning the alleged substantial interference over a right of way easement. While disagreements over shared driveways and access rights are commonplace, relatively few reach the country’s highest...

Good News for Business with the Western Bay of Plenty Regional Deal

The Regional Deal and the bigger picture The 2026 Western Bay of Plenty Regional Deal (Regional Deal) is more than an infrastructure announcement. It is a clear statement that the region is being repositioned for a new phase of growth. For businesses, landowners, investors and iwi, the message is simple: the direction of travel is...

Building a More Sustainable Kiwifruit Workforce

The Government has announced a significant package of proposed reforms to New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme, aimed at simplifying the scheme while strengthening protections for workers. The changes are intended to provide greater clarity for employers and workers, and to support the long-term success of New Zealand’s horticulture, viticulture and agriculture sectors, including...

Time For A Fresh Look at Your Charity’s Governance Foundations

For many charities, governance documents only come out when something changes—or when something goes wrong. A recent change to the Charities Act 2005 gives registered charities a clear reason to dust them off. Charities must now complete a governance review at least once every three years. If a charity has been registered since at least...

The Growth Advantage: Why Stronger Plant Variety Rights Matter

Innovation deserves protection Every successful horticultural variety has a long story behind it, often involving years of breeding, testing, investment and commercial judgement. Developing new plant varieties requires specialised expertise and patience, with no guarantee of success. The Government’s proposed changes to New Zealand’s plant variety rights regime recognise that reality. The stated aim is...

The New Privacy Rule You Can’t Ignore

Requirements for Indirect Collection of Personal Information under IPP3A The Privacy Act 2020 regulates the collection, use and handling of personal information by agencies in New Zealand. An agency can be a person, business, or organisation that collects personal information about other people, provided they are not acting in a personal or domestic capacity. Any...

The Governance Challenge for Family Businesses

Family-owned businesses are a significant part of the Bay of Plenty economy, particularly in the kiwifruit industry and other horticultural sectors. Many are multi-generational businesses and represent both a family’s livelihood and its legacy. As those businesses grow, the decisions become more complex — and the need for clear governance becomes increasingly important to protect...

Small Share Deals Can Carry Big Consequences

A recent High Court decision is a useful reminder for founders, directors and shareholders that the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMCA) is not just something for large public capital raisings. Before offering, selling or transferring shares, it is important to check whether the FMCA applies, whether an exemption is genuinely available, and whether anything...

Buying or Selling a Business? Understanding Purchase Price Adjustments

You have agreed to buy or sell your business for $3,000,000 and settlement is approaching. The buyer pays, and the seller receives $3,000,000 on settlement, correct? Not necessarily. In many share sales, the agreed price is based on assumptions about the company’s financial position when ownership transfers. A purchase price adjustment mechanism reconciles those assumptions...

Can Your Neighbour Really Say No?

A New Approach to Structural Alterations of Cross-Lease Flats While freehold land remains the most common and preferred type of title in New Zealand, cross-lease titles continue to be prevalent in many of our major cities in the wake of the strict development restrictions imposed by the now repealed Municipal Corporations Act 1954. A cross-lease...

Jasmine Daroch

Jasmine Daroch Wins Prestigious Australasian Legal Award

Cooney Lees Morgan Associate Jasmine Daroch is now recognised as one of Australasia’s top young lawyers after being named a ‘Future Legal Leader’ for 2026. Awarded by Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer, the accolade is highly competitive, celebrating a select group of lawyers aged 35 and under who are making a significant impact on the...

Thirty Years, Three Careers, One Unbreakable Bond

Three desks in our Property & Development team sit just metres apart – a small distance that reflects three decades of friendship, adventures, triumphs and heartache.

Think Your Data Is Safe? Think Again.

When a fried chicken chain has tighter cybersecurity than our digital health providers, it’s time to admit something’s wrong. With the Manage My Health privacy breach dominating headlines through the start of 2026, the lack of a penalty regime under the Privacy Act 2020 has been a hot topic of conversation for many. In New...

AI will make my legal bill cheaper, right?

There is a lot of talk about AI and the efficiencies it can deliver, so it’s easy to think there’s no downside to using AI for legal disputes or when communicating with your lawyer. While AI is a powerful tool with plenty to offer, we are increasingly seeing situations where its use actually increases clients’...

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Is your family trust romance proof?

When love and romance are involved, it’s not always easy to discuss what the future may hold if things don’t go to plan. Our family law team can provide expert advice that carefully treads the fine line between asset protection and family relationships.

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