The 2026 reforms to New Zealand’s Overseas Investment Act significantly reshape how transactions are assessed, approved and structured, with changes to decision-making criteria, national interest considerations and compliance expectations. In this focused and practical session, you will receive a clear and timely update on what has changed, which investors and investments are most affected and what this means in practice for property, forestry and commercial transactions. You will walk away with a practical understanding of how to draft, structure and settle transactions involving overseas entities, how to manage transitional issues, and the steps you should be taking now to protect your clients and navigate the new regime with confidence.

Presenters

Tina Hwang, Director, Queen City Law
Tina Hwang is a Director at Queen City Law, where she leads the firm’s Property & Disputes Team. A former Convenor of The Law Association of New Zealand’s Property Law Committee, she continues to serve on its Property Law, Property Disputes and Civil Litigation Committees. Tina’s practice spans property, construction and litigation, supported by broad commercial and employment law experience. She regularly advises on some of New Zealand’s largest property development projects, combining transactional expertise with practical insight into disputes that can arise throughout a project’s lifecycle. Her construction practice encompasses both front-end contract advice and back-end dispute resolution, including adjudication, arbitration and litigation. Clients value her pragmatic, commercially focused approach and commitment to finding practical solutions that resolve disputes promptly and cost-effectively wherever possible. An experienced advocate, Tina regularly represents clients in the High Court and before other courts, tribunals, and authorities. She has acted in proceedings at all levels of the New Zealand courts, including matters before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. She is also regularly appointed as an independent expert to determine property and commercial disputes. Tina brings a pragmatic, commercially focused approach to both contentious and transactional matters. Her work ranges from complex property, construction, and commercial disputes to employment matters for employers and employees, helping clients navigate negotiation, mediation and litigation. A frequent conference chair and presenter, Tina speaks on property, construction, contract, and employment issues. She is a regular contributor to Builders & Contractors magazine and is frequently invited to address banks, real estate professionals and industry groups.


Jason Maddox, Senior Associate, Flacks & Wong Corporate Lawyers
Jason is a New Zealand-qualified lawyer with over 15 years’ experience, specialising in corporate and commercial law.  Jason has expertise in all matters corporate with significant experience in public takeovers and schemes of arrangement, private mergers and acquisitions, governance matters and equity capital markets transactions (ranging from start-ups to NZX-listed issuers).  Jason regularly manages competing workstreams to achieve transaction milestones and advises boards and senior management on transactional and day to day matters.  Jason’s experience includes advising on a range of legal matters such as corporate compliance, shareholding, property, finance, financial services, foreign investment and aircraft acquisition matters.


Christina Lefever, Principal, Lefever Law
Christina is the principal at Lefever Law, a commercial law firm specialising in overseas investment advice and applications. She has over 20 years of commercial law experience, including a comprehensive knowledge of the Overseas Investment Act and Regulations, and understands the practicalities associated with assessing the need for Overseas Investment Office (OIO) consent, the application process and the key issues clients face. Christina has advised on over 90 successful OIO applications (primarily for rural land acquisitions) and has engaged with the OIO in relation to several enforcement matters.  Christina is a member of the OIO’s Legal Reference Group – a group of experienced practitioners that liaises with the OIO on technical and administrative matters.