Take a deep dive into the recent legislative reform you need to know, the governance and compliance updates that will save you, expert strategies for risk management procedures, tips to ensure no enforcement actions arise and insight into managing any disputes that do arise. You will cover everything you need to know from employment law to WHS updates, unfair contract terms, and privacy reforms including the Biometric Code. Discover practical tools to help you and your in-house legal team work smarter not harder. Gain updates and strategies for enforcement of debt and securities. All in one day. CPD compliant plus ready for what ever the year ahead brings.
Friday, 20 March 2026
4.15pm to 5.15pm Company Secretary Special: Governance, Compliance and an Update on Recent Changes
Tackle some of the common and tricky issues facing any in-house counsel charged with advising the board, and gain an update on the state of the announced reforms
- Director duties: what do they mean in practice?
- Companies Act compliance and common pitfalls
- Regulatory reform: where is that up to now, and what do we know is coming?
Presented by Rupert Rouch, Partner, Buddle Finlay
2.00pm to 3.00pm ESG Litigation Risk
Update on greenwashing risk, best practice for setting and implementing GHG emissions targets, understanding ESG ‘backlash’ and managing global supply chain legal risk, including modern slavery.
Presented by Nicola Swan, Partner, Chapman Tripp
Session 1: Legislative Amendments, Case Update and Commerce Commission Insights
Chair: Tim Clarke, Barrister, Richmond Chambers; leading barrister in Employment and Industrial Relations, Doyle's Guide 2025
Learning Objectives:
- Understand recent legislative and case law developments in employment and WHS
- Identify practical strategies to ensure contracts and business practices comply with current fair trading and consumer law standards.
- Gain a practical understanding of the key amendments to the Privacy Act 2025 and how to align internal policies with new requirements.
- Strengthen knowledge of current enforcement procedures, legal updates, and effective strategies for managing debt recovery.
11.15am to 12.15pm Privacy Act Reforms and Other Privacy Updates
Gain a practical and strategic update on key developments in New Zealand’s privacy landscape, exploring what’s new, what’s coming and what needs to be on your radar.
- Privacy Act 2025: key amendments and strategic implications
- IPP3A: updating your privacy policy and internal practices
- Biometrics Privacy Code: risks, rules and readiness
Presented by Dr Maria Pozza, Principal, Gravity Lawyers
12.15pm to 1.15pm Enforcement of Debt and Securities: Cases, Statutory and Rule Changes
- Legal update (court, statute and rule changes)
- Pitfalls and tips and tricks for younger players
- Strategies for dealing with difficult debtors
Presented by Lucy Harrison, Senior Associate, Simpson Grierson and Sophie Hawksworth, Senior Associate, Simpson Grierson
9.00am to 10.00am Employment and WHS Legislative Updates and Case Law Developments
- Evolving employment law: health & safety obligations, bullying/harassment claims, flexible work, union engagement
- Navigating workplace investigations – fairness, privilege and confidentiality
Presented by Janet Copeland, Managing Partner, Copeland McAllister
10.00am to 11.00am Fair Trading Law: Unfair Contract Terms and Unconscionable Conduct – Including an Update from the Commerce Commission
With regulators intensifying scrutiny on contract fairness, In-House counsel must stay ahead of risk.
- Unpack how unfair contract terms and unconscionable conduct are being applied in practice — and gain practical strategies to keep your contracts and business practices compliant
- Julia O’Neil from the Commerce Commission joins the discussion to share insights from the regulator’s perspective on recent enforcement trends and priorities
Convenor: Dr Maria Pozza, Principal and Director, Gravity Lawyers
Panellists:
Julia O’Neil, Senior Legal Counsel, Commerce Commission
Joe Edwards, Partner, Russell McVeagh
Session 2: ESG Litigation Risk, Smarter Tools and Enhanced Governance
11.00am to 11.15am Morning Tea
3.00pm to 4.00pm Doing More with Less: Smarter Tools for In-House Legal Teams
Small legal teams are under pressure. More work. Less budget. No extra headcount. The answer isn’t splashing out on expensive, specialist legal tech (if that will even be approved). It’s learning how to make the most of what you already have—and knowing where to plug the gaps with smart, affordable tools. That’s what you will explore in this session:
- How to turn Microsoft 365 into your legal team’s secret weapon
- Simple tools to manage matters, intake and contracts without drowning in admin
- Smarter ways to handle documents, emails and e-signatures
- Where automation and AI actually deliver value (and where they don’t)
- Practical steps to embed compliance into business processes
- An implementation strategy to get wins fast—on a budget
This session is ideal for in-house lawyers and legal leaders at small teams who need to:
- Cut costs without cutting quality
- Scale legal support across the business
- Free up time for real legal work
Presented by Gene Turner, Managing Director, LawHawk – Legal Automation Specialists
Description
Attend and earn 7 CPD hours
Learning Objectives:
- Identify upcoming legal and regulatory developments that in-house counsel should prepare for in 2026
- Learn practical ways to enhance efficiency and deliver greater value using affordable, accessible tools and smarter workflows
- Strengthen understanding of current governance obligations, director duties, and Companies Act compliance requirements
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Tea
Presenters
Lucy Harrison, Senior Associate. Simpson GriersonLucy is an experienced commercial litigator with expertise in banking and insolvency litigation, commercial disputes, and enforcement of secured debt. She advises clients on all aspects of restructuring and insolvency law and regularly appears in the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. Lucy’s experience includes acting for major trading banks, creditors, and insolvency practitioners, as well as local authorities, on a range of complex commercial disputes. Lucy is an active member of the Restructuring Insolvency Turnaround Association New Zealand (RITANZ) and Women in Restructuring and Insolvency (WIRI).
Gene Turner, Managing Director, LawHawk
Gene is Managing Director of legal automation specialists LawHawk. LawHawk focus on helping lawyers and businesses to improve and automate their legal and business processes, to improve efficiency and quality. Prior to founding LawHawk in 2015, Gene was a corporate & finance partner of Buddle Findlay from 2009 until retiring from partnership in 2014. As well as acting on a number of complex transactions, Gene led a number of the firm’s knowledge management initiatives. Gene is a fellow of World Commerce and Contracting and has been on the Advisory Board for the College of Law’s Centre for Legal Innovation since 2017 and is a regular contributor to the Centre’s programme. In addition to a Bcom/LLB (Hons), Gene has an MBA (Distinction) from Victoria University
Sophie Hawksworth, Senior Associate, Simpson Grierson
Sophie has extensive knowledge and experience in banking and insolvency litigation, commercial disputes and restructuring and insolvency law. She specialises in the enforcement of secured debt and has acted for and advised insolvency practitioners, directors and creditors on issues across numerous different industry sectors. Sophie’s experience includes acting for large domestic and international financiers (including major trading banks) on a range of matters. Sophie has appeared in the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal and has also assisted and advised on arbitrations and mediations (including farm debt mediations). Sophie is praised by her clients for her approachable and personable nature and her considered and commercial approach. She builds strong working relationships with her clients to understand their business, identify solutions and to ensure the best possible outcome for them. Sophie is an active member of the Restructuring Insolvency Turnaround Association New Zealand (RITANZ) and Women in Restructuring and Insolvency (WIRI).
Nicola Swan, Partner, Chapman Tripp
Nicola is a Partner in Chapman Tripp’s Dispute Resolution and Climate Risk practices based in Wellington and leads the firm's International Law practice. She has a significant focus on sustainability and climate change risk and reporting and is recognized as a thought-leader in this area. Nicola has expertise in climate related disclosure (CRD) reporting implementation, having advised both government actors and regulated entities (listed issuers, banks, insurers, fund managers) as the legislation and associated climate standards have been developing. Nicola is currently acting for a range of New Zealand banks, fund managers, insurers and listed issuers on climate risk assessment, CRD, emissions targets, and related liability/litigation risk. Nicola is also regularly approached to develop ESG policies, codes of conduct, and to advise on sustainability governance. Nicola is currently acting for several New Zealand corporates in climate related and greenwashing litigation currently before the courts. In the last three years, Nicola has co-authored published New Zealand legal opinions on fiduciary duties and obligations on boards of directors, fund managers and trustees to consider climate risk to businesses and investments, and several guides for company directors, fund managers and trustees to consider climate risk to businesses and investments. Nicola is recognized in Chambers Asia Pacific 2024, Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 and Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration 2024. Nicola was also listed in NZ Lawyer's Elite Women List 2023.
Dr Maria Pozza, Principal and Director, Gravity Lawyers
Dr Maria Pozza is a seasoned corporate and commercial Lawyer in New Zealand. She’s the director of law firm - Gravity lawyers. Maria has a wealth of experience as both a private and in-house practitioner with a passion for contracts. Her goal is to simplify the complexities around contracts for her clients. Her expertise extends to space law, cyber, tech, IT, data and privacy.
Joe Edwards, Partner, Russell McVeagh
Joe is a litigation partner at Russell McVeagh who specialises in consumer law. He has been counsel in some of New Zealand's leading criminal and civil cases under the Fair Trading Act and Financial Markets Conduct Act.
Janet Copeland, Managing Partner, Copeland McAllister
With nearly 30 years of experience in employment law and health and safety law, Janet is a trusted leader and strategic advisor. She is known for her pragmatic approach, clear communication, and ability to cut through complexity to deliver practical, results-focused solutions for her clients. She is a leading specialist in collective bargaining and union negotiations, and a sought-after expert in strategic industrial relations advice and representation. Janet has represented employers and organisations at every level — from mediation and dispute resolution through to the Employment Court. Her expertise spans a wide range of industries, including aged care, transport, tourism, education, construction, health, agriculture, non-profit, trades, professional services, and local government. She is also highly experienced in managing WorkSafe investigations and health and safety prosecutions, and providing strong, confident representation in high-stakes matters. Janet holds a Certificate in Workplace Investigations from the Association of Workplace Investigators, equipping her to lead independent investigations with professionalism, impartiality, and precision. Together with Naoimh McAllister, Janet co-founded Copeland McAllister in August 2025 – specialist law firm focused exclusively on employment law, health and safety, and immigration law.
Julia O’Neil, Senior Legal Counsel, Commerce Commission
Julia is a Senior Legal Counsel at the Commerce Commission, specialising in all aspects of Fair Trading law with a particular focus on unfair contract terms and unconscionable conduct. Before joining the Commission, Julia worked extensively in house, including in the travel, banking and consumer finance industries.
Tim Clarke, Barrister, Richmond Chambers
Tim Clarke is an experienced employment and workplace safety barrister. He appears in appellate courts, the Employment Court, Employment Relations Authority, and Human Rights Review Tribunal. Tim accepts instructions as counsel, mediator, or independent workplace investigator. Tim is an Associate member of AMINZ and the Resolution Institute, a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators, and serves on the TLANZ Health and Safety Committee and the Employment Law and Privacy Committee of the NZ Bar Association.
Rupert Rouch, Partner, Buddle Finlay
Rupert is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer who advises on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and general corporate advisory matters. Rupert is particularly valued as an expert on company law, regularly advising on governance, Companies Act compliance, and helping companies to document and carry out all forms of corporate actions. He has significant knowledge across all aspects of commercial law, and has specialist capability when it comes to advising incorporated societies and cooperative companies.
