In-House Counsel are under more pressure than ever with expanding workloads, shrinking budgets and increasing regulatory complexity. Sign up for this lunchtime series of webinars to ensure that you are across the latest developments and gain essential strategies, practical tips plus vital legislative and case law updates - all aimed to assist you to reduce risk and meet regulatory requirements. Make it easy & save by registering for the full series or just the sessions that interest you. Watch each session live online or as an on-demand recording to watch at a time convenient to you.
Description
Attend all 5 sessions and earn 5 CPD Hours
If you register for the full series as a live online product after the date of an individual session, you will be sent the recording for the sessions that have passed. Alternatively, you can register for individual sessions by following the links below.
Practical Approaches to Technology Contracts and Risk Management
Tuesday, 2 September 2025
As digital solutions continue to evolve, legal and procurement teams must stay ahead of key trends and risks. This session explores industry best practice for procuring digital products and services, common contractual structures and pitfalls in SaaS and other digital engagements, and practical ways to manage institutional and commercial risk. Gain valuable tools to support your teams and strengthen your organisation’s digital procurement approach.
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
Chair:
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal, Gravity Lawyers
1.00pm to 2.00pm Approaches to Negotiating Digital Engagements From a Customer Perspective
- Trends in digital product and delivery methodology
- Best practice procurement for digital solutions
- Common types of digital contracts and the common risks associated with them
- Useful approaches to managing commercial and institutional risk across SaaS engagements
Presented by Meghan Pinfold, Senior Legal Counsel – Commercial & Digital, Christchurch City Council
Learning Objectives:
- Gain improved confidence when negotiating digital contracts and learning what is best industry practice
- Learn common risks associated with digital engagements and ideas for documenting and managing them
- Gaining insight into ways to build a risk management structure within a digital ecosystem
- Be able to provide practical support to your procurement teams around best practice digital procurement
Presenters
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity LawyersDr Pozza is the Director and Principal lawyer of Gravity Lawyers. Her expertise includes: Commercial international space law, international military space law, domestic legislative frameworks over military and commercial uses in space as well as international law space law dealing with armed conflict and aggressive uses. She provides expertise in legal and technical frameworks concerning cybersecurity and IT, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and technology laws. She has been the course coordinator for the University of Victoria’s Cyber Security and International Relations, as well as a lecturer for the International Relations course. As a prolific publisher, Dr Pozza has edited and published a book on Risk Management in Outer Space Activities – An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, as part of her Book Series titled Space Law and Policy. She has been involved in the development of numerous space law publications that range from academic articles, professional publications, guidance materials, and books. Dr Pozza has supervised at master’s level and is currently supervising at the PhD level with the University of Otago. Her expertise on international and national space law, is often called upon by a wide range of domestic and international clients and institutions.
Meghan Pinfold, Senior Legal Counsel – Commercial & Digital, Christchurch City Council
Meghan is Senior Legal Counsel – Commercial & Digital at Christchurch City Council, where she leads legal strategy for digital transformation and technology procurement. With experience across public and private sectors—including roles at ANZ working within the digital product portfolio and as lead legal on ACC’s ICT Transformation project—Meghan specialises in negotiating complex digital contracts and managing stakeholder engagement and delivery. Meghan works across Christchurch City Council’s Digital team, supporting SaaS and infrastructure deals through to AI, automation, and machine learning initiatives. She has also advised on and guided the development of digital solutions. Meghan brings deep expertise in aligning legal frameworks with digital strategy, making her an ideal guide for navigating the challenges of IT contracting and risk management
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Workplace Investigations in Employment Law for In-House Counsel
Tuesday, 9 September 2025
Workplace investigations are playing an increasingly significant role in New Zealand employment law. Tailored for in-house counsel, this session provides practical guidance on when an investigation is appropriate, the legal duties owed to participants, and how to manage investigations effectively to minimise cost and legal risk. Gain essential insights to navigate this evolving area with confidence and compliance.
1.00pm to 2.00pm Workplace Investigations in Employment Law for In-House Counsel
Workplace investigations have become a more regular part of the New Zealand legal landscape in recent years. This session will provide an overview of this developing area, including an examination of:
- When is an investigation appropriate (and prudent)?
- Duties and obligations employers have to investigation participants
- How to effectively manage workplace investigations for both cost and liability
Presented by Andrew Scott-Howman, Barrister and Workplace Investigator, Port Nicholson Chambers
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the latest developments in investigations in employment law
- Gain knowledge of how to effectively manage workplace investigations
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
Chair:
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal, Gravity Lawyers
Presenters
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity LawyersDr Pozza is the Director and Principal lawyer of Gravity Lawyers. Her expertise includes: Commercial international space law, international military space law, domestic legislative frameworks over military and commercial uses in space as well as international law space law dealing with armed conflict and aggressive uses. She provides expertise in legal and technical frameworks concerning cybersecurity and IT, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and technology laws. She has been the course coordinator for the University of Victoria’s Cyber Security and International Relations, as well as a lecturer for the International Relations course. As a prolific publisher, Dr Pozza has edited and published a book on Risk Management in Outer Space Activities – An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, as part of her Book Series titled Space Law and Policy. She has been involved in the development of numerous space law publications that range from academic articles, professional publications, guidance materials, and books. Dr Pozza has supervised at master’s level and is currently supervising at the PhD level with the University of Otago. Her expertise on international and national space law, is often called upon by a wide range of domestic and international clients and institutions.
Andrew Scott-Howman, Barrister and Workplace Investigator, Port Nicholson Chambers
Andrew Scott-Howman is a Wellington based barrister specialising in workplace investigations. He is a graduate of the Association of Workplace Investigator's Training Institute and a member of that specialist interest organisation. He is also a co-author of the Thomson Reuters text "Workplace Bullying in New Zealand". He acts as investigator in both the public and private sectors, and has wide experience in investigating bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct claims.
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Navigating the Evolving Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act Landscape: Recent Reforms, Regulatory Shift, and BNPL Expansion
Tuesday, 16 September 2025
If you only have one hour to gain an understanding of the implications of the Credit Law reforms from the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) then this is it! Unpack the significant shift in oversight from the Commerce Commission to the Financial Markets Authority, what this means for regulatory approach and enforcement, and the recent extension of the regime to Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) products. This session will equip you with a clear understanding of key compliance expectations and next steps in a rapidly changing environment.
Chair:
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal, Gravity Lawyers
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the recent legislative reforms to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act
- Unpack the regulatory change from the Commerce Commission to the Financial Markets Authority
- Understand the expansion of the regime to Buy Now, Pay Later products
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
1.00pm to 2.00pm Navigating the Evolving CCCFA Landscape: Recent Reforms, Regulatory Shift, and BNPL Expansion
- Gain an overview and update on the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA), exploring recent legislative reforms and their practical implications for lenders
- Examine the significant shift in oversight from the Commerce Commission to the Financial Markets Authority, what this means for regulatory approach and enforcement
- Examine the recent extension of the regime to Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) products
Presented by Richard Massey, Partner, Bell Gully
Presenters
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity LawyersDr Pozza is the Director and Principal lawyer of Gravity Lawyers. Her expertise includes: Commercial international space law, international military space law, domestic legislative frameworks over military and commercial uses in space as well as international law space law dealing with armed conflict and aggressive uses. She provides expertise in legal and technical frameworks concerning cybersecurity and IT, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and technology laws. She has been the course coordinator for the University of Victoria’s Cyber Security and International Relations, as well as a lecturer for the International Relations course. As a prolific publisher, Dr Pozza has edited and published a book on Risk Management in Outer Space Activities – An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, as part of her Book Series titled Space Law and Policy. She has been involved in the development of numerous space law publications that range from academic articles, professional publications, guidance materials, and books. Dr Pozza has supervised at master’s level and is currently supervising at the PhD level with the University of Otago. Her expertise on international and national space law, is often called upon by a wide range of domestic and international clients and institutions.
Richard Massey, Partner, Bell Gully
Richard is a Partner in Bell Gully’s consumer, Regulatory and Compliance team. He specialises in consumer law and has acted for a range of clients on issues under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act and the Fair Trading Act. Richard frequently advises on credit matters, including responsible lending, disclosure and credit fees, as well as broader consumer issues including unfair contract terms and online contracts. Before joining Bell Gully, Richard worked at Slaughter and May in London, where he acted on a range of complex contractual disputes and regulatory investigations.
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3 Years On: Is Anyone Acting Unconscionably in NZ?
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Amendments to the Fair Trading Act in 2022 brought prohibitions for unconscionable conduct in New Zealand. To date, we have not seen any substantive cases, but does that mean no one is acting unconscionably? Explore recent decisions in Australia and their potential impact in New Zealand and what behaviours are occurring in New Zealand that are likely to be found unconscionable.
Chair:
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal, Gravity Lawyers
Learning Objectives:
- Be aware of recent cases in Australia on unconscionable conduct and their potential impact in New Zealand
- Understand the types of conduct that are likely to be found unconscionable in New Zealand er Russell McVeigh
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
1.00pm to 2.00pm 3 Years On: Is Anyone Acting Unconscionably in NZ?
The amendments to the Fair Trading Act in 2022 brought prohibitions for unconscionable conduct in New Zealand. While there are yet to be any substantive cases, does that mean no one is acting unconscionably?
- Recent developments in Australia on unconscionable conduct and their potential impact in New Zealand
- The types of conduct that are taking place in New Zealand that are likely to be found to be unconscionable – and why in-house counsel need to be on the lookout in their own organisations
- How unconscionable conduct can be used as both a shield and a sword
Presented by Joe Edwards, Partner, Russell McVeigh
Presenters
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity LawyersDr Pozza is the Director and Principal lawyer of Gravity Lawyers. Her expertise includes: Commercial international space law, international military space law, domestic legislative frameworks over military and commercial uses in space as well as international law space law dealing with armed conflict and aggressive uses. She provides expertise in legal and technical frameworks concerning cybersecurity and IT, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and technology laws. She has been the course coordinator for the University of Victoria’s Cyber Security and International Relations, as well as a lecturer for the International Relations course. As a prolific publisher, Dr Pozza has edited and published a book on Risk Management in Outer Space Activities – An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, as part of her Book Series titled Space Law and Policy. She has been involved in the development of numerous space law publications that range from academic articles, professional publications, guidance materials, and books. Dr Pozza has supervised at master’s level and is currently supervising at the PhD level with the University of Otago. Her expertise on international and national space law, is often called upon by a wide range of domestic and international clients and institutions.
Joe Edwards, Partner Russell McVeigh
Joe is a partner in Russell McVeagh’s litigation practice. Joe heads the Marketing Law, Media and Intellectual Property team. He specialises in commercial litigation, with a particular focus on privacy law and data protection disputes, regulatory investigations and prosecutions. A seasoned litigator, Joe continues to lead litigation in a number of high-profile privacy, data and confidential information cases. This includes High Court and Court of Appeal proceedings relating to the use of people's images in news reporting, protecting the identity of sources and interviewees. He is known for his extensive grasp on existing data protection law, and being ahead of the curve when it comes to emerging data protection trends. Joe is recognised as a Leading Individual for Data Protection and Intellectual Property, and is recommended for TMT, in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 guide. Joe is acknowledged as a "Best Lawyer" for Advertising Law, Privacy and Data Protection, Litigation and Intellectual Property and he was nominated by his peers as the 'Lawyer of the Year' in New Zealand for Privacy and Data Security Law in Best Lawyers® 2022 New Zealand. Joe is the co-author of the Chambers publication 'Trade Secrets'.
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Guiding Business Units to Compliance via Legal Guidelines
Tuesday, 21 October 2025
Discover how in-house legal teams can drive compliance and efficiency by leveraging Legal Guideline Resources. You will work through real-world success stories and gain actionable strategies for creating, deploying, and promoting legal guidelines that empower business units. Learn how to identify when guidelines are needed, craft them in a user-friendly style, and host them for maximum visibility. Walk away with tools to enhance your legal team's impact, reduce routine support requests, and focus on high-value legal work that truly moves the needle.
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD Hour
1.00pm to 2.00pm Guiding Business Units to Compliance via Legal Guidelines
A practical session to share success stories on how Legal Guideline Resources can be deployed within in-house legal functions to boost compliance, reduce legal support requests and improve accessibility to legal services.
- What is a a legal guideline resource?
- Ways to identify when a legal guideline resource will support and supplement the in-house legal function
- How to get started on creating legal services guidelines in a style that your business units can understand and follow
- Where to host and crucially, how to promote the guidelines
After this workshop, you will walk away with practical, actionable steps that will enable you to:
- Boost your legal compliance within your organisation
- Enhance your team’s profile through a service delivery that focuses on how to best add-value to your organisation
- Free up your precious bandwidth to deal with the high value, high-risk matters that you both want and need to manage to best serve your organisation
Presented by Sian Wingate, Legal and Compliance Consultant, Sian Wingate Advisory
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how to use Legal Guideline Resources to boost compliance and improve accessibility to legal services for the In-House legal function
Chair:
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal, Gravity Lawyers
Presenters
Dr Maria Pozza, Director and Principal Lawyer, Gravity LawyersDr Pozza is the Director and Principal lawyer of Gravity Lawyers. Her expertise includes: Commercial international space law, international military space law, domestic legislative frameworks over military and commercial uses in space as well as international law space law dealing with armed conflict and aggressive uses. She provides expertise in legal and technical frameworks concerning cybersecurity and IT, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and technology laws. She has been the course coordinator for the University of Victoria’s Cyber Security and International Relations, as well as a lecturer for the International Relations course. As a prolific publisher, Dr Pozza has edited and published a book on Risk Management in Outer Space Activities – An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, as part of her Book Series titled Space Law and Policy. She has been involved in the development of numerous space law publications that range from academic articles, professional publications, guidance materials, and books. Dr Pozza has supervised at master’s level and is currently supervising at the PhD level with the University of Otago. Her expertise on international and national space law, is often called upon by a wide range of domestic and international clients and institutions.
Sian Wingate, Legal and Compliance Consultant, Sian Wingate Advisory
Sian Wingate is a seasoned in-house counsel specialising in short to medium term contracts with in-house legal teams to support process improvement and tackle complex legal projects. Through her advisory consulting firm sianwingate.com, Sian also helps General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers with legal services and legal compliance reviews to identify areas for improvement. She sets up frameworks to implement her recommendations and supplies hands-on support to design, implement and embed changes. Sian has more than a decade of in-house experience in successfully implementing her tried and tested techniques across telecommunications, utilities, local government and central government agencies through to private sector. Additional services include legal operations audits, legal guidance resource creation, template vault development, team intranet knowledge banks and legal compliance framework design.
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