Work Highlights
Our team has extensive experience in the legal industry and this has provided some significant professional highlights in which the firm takes particular pride.
Litigation/Dispute Resolution
We have provided legal consultation and/or acted in a range of significant litigations. These include:
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Acting for defendants in litigation by Worksafe under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, including:
a. Defending a construction company which was prosecuted for having inadequate safety procedures.
b. Acting for the owner of a commercial property where the collapse of a tree caused significant harm to the staff and clients of the business operating there.
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Representing builders, subcontractors and property owners in construction contract disputes, adjudications and civil proceedings, including:
a. Defending a construction company in High Court litigation relating to abandonment of contract and building defects.
b. Acting in arbitration for a subcontractor who had not received full payment for construction works.
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Acting for parties in precedent defining prosecutions under the Overseas Investment Act 2005, including:
a. Acting for a defendant who breached the Overseas Investment Act 2005 by acquiring a high value residential property as an overseas person. This was the first case in New Zealand where the defendant succeeded in retaining the purchased property despite such a breach.
b. Advising and representing an interested party in relation to a prosecution for the purchase of high value sensitive farmland. The purchaser was prosecuted for being an associate of an overseas person, being the first prosecution of this nature in New Zealand.
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Acting in property ownership disputes, including:
a. Acting for the property owner in a High Court litigation regarding the ownership of a property valued at over $16 million, and a possible constructive trust relating thereto.
b. Acting in a class action claim against a developer after multiple sale agreements in a new land development had been terminated.
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Acting in other regulatory investigations and litigation, including:
a. Representing the defendant in an investigation and claim by Fire and Emergency New Zealand regarding excessive firefighting costs of over $2 million.
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Commercial disputes, including:
a. Representing a franchisee in its legal dispute with a well-known chain liquor store franchisor.
b. Defending company directors from allegations that they breached their duties under the Companies Act 1993.
c. Acting for shareholders and investors to raise claims against companies and/or their directors.
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Representing clients in a range of employment matters, including:
a. Appearing before the Employment Relations Authority for an employer who had been accused of exploiting staff and unfair dismissal.
b. Employment mediation.
c. Disciplinary investigations or unfair disadvantage claims, including claims involving major national companies.
d. Advising a client in relation to an employment dispute with a well-known local television network.
Property
Since its incorporation, Domain Legal has excelled in terms of the quality and quantity of its property transactions. To date, the firm has managed:
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Over 9,000 unique conveyancing transactions.
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Residential conveyancing transactions with a cumulative value of over $3 billion.
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Over 100 development projects, which collectively account for hundreds of individual properties.
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Creation of over 40 joint venture or property sharing arrangements.
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Examples of some significant property transactions we have managed include:
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Development and sale of a luxury apartment building in Takapuna valued over $60 million.
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Due diligence and contractual negotiation for the acquisition of commercial property in Takapuna valued over $115 million.
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Acquisition of a commercial office building for over $20 million and negotiation and administration of its leases by prominent New Zealand and international companies, which have included Tegel, Griffins and Downer.
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Development of an apartment complex and terraced housing in Sandringham, which has a value over $60 million.
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Acquisition and development consultation for development land in the Auckland Council Redhills Precinct, which is valued over $40 million.
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Development of terraced housing in Papakura, a project worth over $13 million.
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Negotiations and due diligence for the acquisition of a new commercial office building in Albany, valued over $80 million.
Immigration
Some memorable immigration matters in which we were able to achieve key positive outcomes for our clients include:
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Seeking and obtaining Ministerial intervention for a client who had been an overstayer in New Zealand for around 10 years. The client had family in New Zealand, but was in financial difficulty and was facing deportation. We were able to obtain a visa for her on humanitarian grounds and she is now a proud New Zealand resident.
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Obtaining a character waiver on behalf of a client as a discretionary exception. That client had prior convictions, and would not have met immigration requirements if not for this waiver.
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Successfully requesting reconsideration of a student visa application which had been declined by INZ on ‘bona fide’ grounds.
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Successfully appealing various INZ decline decisions at the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. We established that those INZ decisions were either incorrect on procedural grounds or that special circumstances applied to the applicant. These appeals include matters involving the SMC employment criteria, English language requirements and family connections to New Zealand.
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Obtaining lawful entry into New Zealand for clients based overseas who had previously been denied entry. This includes the travel of overseas family members during Covid lockdowns and the entry of bona fide visitors at other times.
Corporate/Commercial Law
We have been involved in many significant business transactions throughout the years. Highlights include:
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Acting on the acquisition or divestment of many successful businesses, including various well-known brands such as Coffee Club, Pita Pit, Dominos Pizza, Wendy’s Supa Sundae and Mobil petrol stations.
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Resolution of disputes between company shareholders with equal shareholdings (these disputes can often create a gridlock in company activities).
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Conducting due diligence and consultation regarding prominent New Zealand businesses.
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Establishing complex shareholder arrangements for various complex business, including development companies, doctors clinics, educational institutions and innovative investment entities.
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Working with a range of other professionals to strategise and manage clients’ business affairs, including top end accountants such as Deloitte and William Buck.
