Buddle Findlay’s national employment team brings a pragmatic, problem-solving approach to employment law issues.  We take into account not only the legal aspects of an employment relationship issue, but also the practical and interpersonal aspects, and our clients’ strategic goals.

Our team are skilled and proactive advocates at mediation, in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court, and in the civil and appellate courts.  Members of our team have practised in Australia and the United Kingdom, and we regularly advise clients based off-shore.

We have excellent working relationships with the Employment Relations Service, Mediation Service, the Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court, and other employment lawyers.  We also have good working relationships with key stakeholders in the employment relations field, including the Department of Labour, the Council of Trade Unions and Business New Zealand.  These relationships assist our clients to achieve their objectives in a cost-effective and timely way. 

Clients and services

We help our clients achieve practical solutions to their legal problems. 

We provide legal and strategic advice to corporate clients in both the public and private sectors, and to individuals.  We provide advice and assistance across the full range of employment issues, including:

  • Design and implementation of change and restructuring processes
  • Advice and representation in collective bargaining, and in other interactions with unions and collectivised workforces
  • Advice to vendors and purchasers on mergers and acquisitions
  • Best practice procedures for hiring employees, performance management, misconduct investigations and dismissal
  • Avoidance and resolution of personal grievances, disputes and other employment relationship problems
  • Protection of confidential information and intellectual property, including the enforcement of restraints of trade
  • Representation and advice on health and safety issues, investigations and prosecutions
  • Negotiating and drafting employment agreements, contracts for services and policies
  • Undertaking independent investigations into serious misconduct and other complaints
  • Advice on holidays and leave, KiwiSaver and superannuation, information and privacy, accident compensation, discrimination, harassment and bullying, medical, stress and disability issues, remuneration, bonuses and retention arrangements.

Recent work

  • Representing all New Zealand’s District Health Boards in the full court of the Employment Court in 2 landmark cases on good faith in collective bargaining
  • Advising Chevron New Zealand on the restructuring of its New Zealand workforce and relocation of its head office from Wellington to Auckland
  • Assisting KiwiRail with the merger of the rail infrastructure and rail transport businesses, in particular the merger of the two senior management teams
  • Advising Massey University, UNITEC and Manukau Institute of Technology on major restructuring to help secure their long-term financial sustainability
  • Advising on the employment aspects of the implementation of Labtests’ NZ$560m laboratory services contract, which included high profile garden leave and restraint of trade injunction proceedings against the incumbent provider
  • Advising GE Money on the implications of a significant downsizing of its New Zealand business, including the employment issues arising from the winding up of its Wizard Home Loans business
  • Defending successfully unjustified dismissal claims brought against large public sector employers in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court
  • Drafting an online resource accessible by most of the country’s GPs that provides user friendly guidance on most employment law issues and processes
  • Assisting Toll NZ with its restructuring of its Interislander ferry vessels, which included upholding the company’s rights in the Employment Court to undertake this restructuring and obtaining injunctions to prevent unlawful strikes on the Interislander ferries
  • Advising GE on employment issues arising out of its acquisition of Australian Financial Investment Group and AGC
  • Advising Freightways and its subsidiary companies on contractor versus employee issues
  • Advising Navico on employment issues raised by its acquisition of and marine electronics business, Navman, including threatened strike action
  • Advising the Unitas Capital consortium on employment issues, management contracts and employee incentive schemes arising out of its NZ$2b acquisition of Yellow Pages Group
  • Advising New Zealand’s largest bank, ANZ National Bank, after its merger, on the amalgamation of its 2 collective employment agreements, and its industrial relations strategy
  • Advising the New Zealand government on changes to the Employment Relations Act, a code of good faith for the health sector, and the state of the law on disciplinary procedures
  • Acting as lead negotiator for the 6 New Zealand Universities in their multi-employer collective bargaining with the academic and general staff unions
  • Advising all District Health Boards on their industrial relations strategy and on nationwide and localised strike action by health professionals, including issues regarding life preserving services
  • Advising Vector on the employment issues arising from its purchase of UnitedNetworks
  • Assisting one of New Zealand’s largest energy companies with the introduction of KiwiSaver and advising on adjustments to its existing superannuation scheme

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