Welcome to Avid.legal – New Zealand corporate, commercial, and tech law experts
ABOUT US
We are forward thinking New Zealand lawyers specialising in corporate, commercial, and technology law.
We are commercially minded, accessible, and flexible. We are focused on providing exceptional legal services and solutions that our clients deserve.
Our clients include:
- national and international companies;
- founders, start-ups, and high-growth businesses;
- investors (corporates, funds, angel clubs, and individuals).
Many of our clients are involved in the technology sector – including IT, communications, life sciences, design, and manufacturing.
We do not strive to be the biggest law firm – our aim is to be the New Zealand law firm of choice for our clients’ most important corporate and commercial matters.
We are at the forefront of developing innovative ways of supplying legal resources. See for example The Bench by Avid.legal. Watch this space for further innovations in the coming months.
EXPERTISE
We are experts in corporate law, commercial law, and technology law. It’s what we do, and we do it exceptionally well. Clients benefit from our expertise in:
- Transaction management (including coordination with other specialists and foreign lawyers, if relevant)
- Pre-transaction readiness
- Term sheets
- Due diligence
- Negotiating and drafting transaction agreements
- Selling and buying companies and businesses
- Transaction financing
- Post-transaction integration
- Capital raising
- Shareholder arrangements and joint ventures
- Employee share schemes
- Board governance and compliance advice
- Resolving board, shareholder, and owner disputes
- Financing and securities
- Restructuring
- International ‘flips’
- Negotiating and drafting contracts
- IP commercialisation arrangements (transfers and licensing)
- R&D, supplier, design, and manufacturing arrangements
- Customer, sales, and distribution arrangements
- Strategic alliances, joint ventures, teaming, and reseller agreements with key partners
- Service and use agreements
- Commercial leasing
- Franchising
- IT, communications, life sciences
- SaaS models
- Master services agreements
- Data, technology, and product licensing
- Procurement strategies, ROI, RFI, RFQ, RFP documents and responses
- User terms (web, mobile, SaaS, apps, etc)
- Privacy and other compliance matters
- Creating and protecting value
- Building teams and strategic alliances
- Customer and supplier arrangements
- Advising directors
- Capital raising (including seed funding, angel investing, crowd funding, venture capital, strategic investment)
- Founder, investment, and shareholder agreements
- M&A transactions (exits and acquisitions)
If you require guidance outside our areas of expertise, or outside New Zealand, we can seamlessly access other experts through our networks – unrestrained by the four walls of the traditional large law firm. Where other expertise is required, we can take responsibility for coordinating other experts for you so that you have a single point of contact, or we can work within a team of advisors.
Latest Blog Post
11 Avid.legal insights from advising on over NZ$1b of NZ tech company M&A exits in the last 12 months
We have advised on over NZ$1 billion of NZ tech company M&A exits in the last 12 months, so we thought it would be interesting to share some trends. Buyers have money to spend: Buyers who have weathered the impacts of Covid on their business with strong balance sheets are making good use of relatively cheaper costs of [...]
Illustrative transactions
Advised Movac on the establishment of a $110m Fund 4 expansion capital growth fund
Advised shareholders of SimplHealth on its sale to Whanau Tahi
Acted for AngelHQ on various investments
Acted for RedShield on its of $6.2 million Series A Funding Round
Advised Postr on its $3m capital raise for APAC expansion
Acted for Merlot.Aero on the acquisition of GE Aviation’s Geneva airline operations management system
Advised Intergen on its sale to ASX listed Empired
Advised GreenButton on its sale to MicroSoft
Advised Cityfitness on the acquisition of numerous gyms across NZ
Advised on establishment and operation of Mahuki, Te Papa's innovation accelerator
Advised on the management buyout of thinkstep New Zealand and Australia
OUR TEAM
Bruno
Bordignon
Director
Bruno is a co-founder and director of the firm. He has a strong commercial and technology focus, and regularly advises on M&A transactions. Bruno brings energy, a keen interest in business, and a practical approach to each engagement he is involved in.
P +64 21 277 6660
E bruno.bordignon@avid.legal
L View Bruno’s LinkedIn profile here
Murray
Whyte
Director
Murray is a co-founder and director of the firm. He advises clients on corporate and commercial matters, with a special interest in the technology, high-growth businesses, and life sciences. He is known for his clear, pragmatic advice and adept handling of M&A and capital raising transactions.
P +64 27 531 3730
E murray.whyte@avid.legal
L View Murray’s LinkedIn profile here
David
Clarke
Director
Dave is a director of the firm specialising in corporate and commercial law. He provides clear and effective advice to assist clients achieve their commercial objectives.
P +64 27 244 5658
E david.clarke@avid.legal
Judith
Harper
Director
Judith is a director of the firm. She advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters with a special interest in technology, aviation, and aquaculture businesses.
P +64 21 310 361
E judith.harper@avid.legal
L View Judith’s LinkedIn profile here
Katie
Carson
Consultant
Katie is a consultant at the firm, based in Auckland, and bringing expertise across fintech, ventures, regulation and funding structures. Katie is a well-respected adviser known for her commitment to client service. She offers technical excellence combined with a commercial and accessible approach.
P +64 21 669 788
E katie.carson@avid.legal
L View Katie’s LinkedIn profile here
Tony
Davis
Associate
Tony is an Associate in the firm. Tony is passionate about working alongside NZ’s high-growth businesses which bring the best of kiwi innovation and ingenuity to NZ and abroad.
P +64 27 312 2782
E tony.davis@avid.legal
L View Tony’s LinkedIn profile here
Caitlin
Ashworth
Associate
Caitlin is an Associate in the firm and is passionate about helping bright people achieve big goals for their businesses.
P +64 27 269 3359
E caitlin.ashworth@avid.legal
L View Caitlin’s LinkedIn profile here
Phil
Bain
Senior Solicitor
Phil is a lawyer with a focus on corporate and commercial law matters. He has been an active participant in early-stage tech start-ups, and is interested in high growth enterprise.
P +64 4 550 5315
M +64 27 919 4339
E phil.bain@avid.legal
L View Phil’s LinkedIn profile here
Nadia
Cooper
Solicitor
Nadia is a solicitor in the firm. She has recently been actively involved in a range of corporate and commercial matters, and is interested in capital raising and joint ventures.
P +64 4 550 5315
E nadia.cooper@avid.legal
L View Nadia’s LinkedIn profile here
Robbie
Selbie
Solicitor
Robbie is a junior lawyer in the firm. Since joining the firm, he has been exposed to a wide range of corporate matters and has developed an interest in capital raising, M&A, employee share schemes, and government Covid-19 support packages and law changes to assist our clients with operations in NZ and around the world.
P +64 27 849 1228
E robbie.selbie@avid.legal
Sophie
Meaclem
Practice Manager
Sophie is our practice manager and is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the firm and efficient operation of the firm’s accounting practices. She is the first point of contact for account and business queries.
P +64 4 280 6262
E sophie.meaclem@avid.legal
INTERNATIONAL
We assist New Zealand clients with global ambitions, and international clients with their New Zealand business.
We have strong experience working with clients, law firms and other advisors in Australia, parts of Asia, North America, the UK and Europe.
Avid.legal is a member of TAGLaw. TAGLaw is an international alliance of independent law firms with more than 155 member firms based in over 90 countries. Its 10,000+ lawyers work out of 380 offices to provide a full range of legal services to clients all over the world.
Bruno Bordignon and Murray Whyte are our lead TAGLaw contacts.
BRUNO
BORDIGNON
Bruno has previously worked in Australia and the UK. He advises a wide variety of international clients on their New Zealand business, and regularly guides New Zealand clients with their foreign matters. Bruno has been a New Zealand TAGLaw contact since 2009 (including through his previous firm).
MURRAY
WHYTE
Murray has previously worked in Germany and Russia advising on international M&A transactions and contracts. He has advised on matters involving more than 50 countries. He maintains connections with clients and lawyers around the world. Murray is a member of the German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce.
FEES
Your choice of fee structure.
We have the flexibility to structure our fees in a way to suit you or your business. Your options include:
Hourly rates: our professional time charged at agreed hourly rates.
Fixed or capped price: agreed price or cap for identified work.
Retainer: fixed price periodic fee – usually on monthly basis for identified work over an agreed period of time.
Equity: in some circumstances we will work with start-ups and early stage companies on a part fee/part equity basis.
Please contact us to arrange an obligation free meeting to discuss your matter and the various fee options outlined above with us.
CONTACT US
Avid.legal Limited
Mezzanine Floor
Press Hall
80 Willis Street
PO Box 11677
Wellington 6142
P +64 4 550 5315