Dentons New Zealand

06/10/2026

Law is a demanding profession. The pressure can contribute to mental distress in our workforce. That’s why wellbeing is a key focus at Dentons.

As we approach Mental Health Awareness Week, we invited keynote speaker Jehan Casinader to challenge, inspire and educate our staff across the country.

Jehan shared a powerful presentation about his journey through depression and suicidal thoughts, while working as a primetime TV journalist.

He emphasised that high performance is not the opposite of wellbeing – in fact, both can go hand in hand. He also provided practical tools to help us manage stress and negative thoughts.

Dentons provides a range of wellbeing support options to our staff, and we promote a healthy culture of work.

By leading conversations about wellbeing, we can break stigma and help the wider legal profession to thrive.

06/10/2026

Our Auckland and Wellington teams recently celebrated the admission of 20 colleagues as Barristers and Solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand.

These were inspiring and heartfelt evenings, celebrating a major career milestone and recognising the whānau and loved ones whose support, encouragement and sacrifices helped our newly admitted lawyers along the way.

IP Partner and Board Member Jenni Rutter shared some words of encouragement, “We need people who can navigate difficult issues and think deeply, use their human judgement, and advocate for positive solutions to problems.”

As AI reshapes the future of work and businesses navigate geopolitical shifts, it is these distinctly human skills that will set our newly admitted Barristers and Solicitors apart.

We are delighted they have chosen to build their careers with Dentons and look forward to seeing them flourish.

22/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand at BizFest 2026.

This year's theme, Build Your Village, was a great reminder that strong businesses are built on relationships, collaboration and community. It was fantastic to meet so many local business owners, hear about the opportunities and challenges they are navigating, and make new connections across the region.

A big thank you to Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Porirua City Council and everyone involved in bringing BizFest together. We were proud to support an event that celebrates local business and the people behind it.

We look forward to continuing the conversations.

16/07/2026

08/07/2026

With the NPC season fast approaching, it was a pleasure to attend the season launch Gala dinner last night and receive our sponsored jersey for the year ahead.

As a long-standing supporter of Auckland Rugby, we value the opportunities the partnership provides to connect with clients, colleagues and the wider business community through the many events and initiatives delivered throughout the season.

We wish both the NPC and FPC teams all the very best for the season ahead.

01/07/2026

Congratulations to the following lawyers on their well-deserved promotions.

Special Counsel: Andrea Lane – Health Litigation | Merran Greenhalgh – Major Projects and Construction

Senior Associate: Natalie Fraser-Jones – Corporate and Commercial | Ruth Williams – Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Associate: Gina Hopkinson – Banking and Financial Markets | Kathleen Griffiths – Employment | Luke Ji – Employment | Nicola Mah – Litigation | Sean Gourley – Major Projects and Construction

These promotions reflect the exceptional talent, dedication and client commitment our people bring every day. We are proud to invest in developing the next generation of legal leaders at Dentons.

Congratulations to all nine on this milestone.

Read our full press release here: https://zurl.co/xolNp

30/06/2026

We are thrilled to announce the promotion of four exceptional lawyers to our partnership:

David Newport – Major Projects and Construction | Madison Hajek – Major Projects and Construction | Jeremy Bell-Connell – Dispute Resolution | Peter Callus – Corporate and Commercial

These promotions reflect the depth of homegrown talent at Dentons and our continued investment in our people, our clients, and our national presence across New Zealand.

David, Jeremy and Peter join the partnership from 1 July 2026 (subject to satisfying the Law Society’s requirements), with Madison joining upon her return from maternity leave.

Congratulations to all four, we could not be prouder.

Click here to read the full press release: https://zurl.co/oOfFg

30/06/2026

New Zealand's appeal to high-net-worth individuals and families goes well beyond its natural scenery. For those considering a move, or simply looking to diversify their wealth structuring, the country offers a compelling suite of often-overlooked tax advantages. With proper planning and care, these can deliver tax efficient outcomes.

Click here to read our latest article that covers the key planning opportunities and pitfalls for prospective migrants and investors: https://zurl.co/xTiLD

18/06/2026

New Zealand faces a $200 billion infrastructure deficit. Getting out of it is not just about spending more, it is about spending better.

Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) should be our main tool for getting better value. Yet it underused in many government agencies, leaving decision makes without a clear way to compare value-for-money across major projects.

There are encouraging signs of reform, including proposed assurance processes for major investments and greater oversight from Te Waihanga. But the success of any reform will depend on consistent and rigorous application of CBA across the infrastructure pipeline.

If we want to close the infrastructure deficit, we need to ensure that infrastructure spending goes further.

Click here to read more: https://zurl.co/qHlBg

Katrina Van Houtte | Sean Gourley

17/06/2026

Last week our GLOW network hosted Bang Bang Bingo in our Auckland and Wellington offices to celebrate Global Pride Month! We all had a fabulous time, with lots of laughter, singing and dancing – big thanks to those involved in pulling together what was two great evenings!