Frustration of contracts and COVID-19
25 March 2020 Due to New Zealand moving to Covid-19 alert Level 4 for at least the next four weeks, many New Zealanders will be assessing the impact of the virus on their contractual obligations. In some circumstances it may be possible for the doctrine ...
Mar 25, 2020
Making your wishes certain in uncertain times - COVID-19
25 March 2020 At the time of reading this article, the nation will be on lock-down for four weeks and, for the most part, confined to our homes. In these uncertain times, there are measures you can take to provide some much-needed peace of mind. Powers ...
Mar 24, 2020
The Trusts Act 2019 - how will the new law affect you?
The Trusts Act 2019 (‘the Act’) is the most significant change in New Zealand trust law in over 60 years. Replacing the Trustee Act 1956 and the Perpetuities Act 1964, it creates new obligations for trustees and makes a number of welcome changes to ...
Jan 29, 2020
Restraints of Trade & Non-Competition Clauses – Independent Contractors
It is common to see a restraint of trade clause in an employment agreement or an agreement for the sale and purchase of a business. But what about independent contractor agreements? Can an independent contractor be subject to a restraint of trade? ...
Dec 3, 2019
Legal considerations for multi-generation property ownership
Multi-generational households are becoming increasingly more common in New Zealand. The number of people living in multi-generational households increased by 49% from 1996 to 2013. The way New Zealanders own houses is changing, and it is becoming more ...
Nov 11, 2019
Business Owner Conundrum – Considerations of succession and selling
Forty nine percent of our business owners are aged over 50, and half of them are aged over 60. The National Research Bureau recently recorded that 130,000 businesses will be for sale in the next 10 years. Locally in the Wairarapa, that would equate to ...
Oct 23, 2019
Covert recordings by employees
In this age of smartphones, practically everyone has a recording device in their pocket. As an employer, have you ever wondered where you stand with regard to a recording made by an employee without your knowledge? Would such a recording be admissible in ...
Jul 30, 2019
AML (anti money laundering) and Gibson Sheat Lawyers, Wellington
Anti-money laundering has recently been in the spotlight in New Zealand with the Ministry of Justice estimating that almost NZ$1.35 billion from fraud and illegal drugs is laundered through ordinary New Zealand businesses each year. To help combat this ...
Mar 1, 2018