Welcome to Avid.legal – New Zealand corporate, commercial, and tech law experts

ABOUT US

We are forward thinking New Zealand lawyers specialising in corporate, commercial, finance, and technology law.

We are commercially minded, accessible, and flexible. We are focused on providing exceptional legal services and solutions that our clients deserve.

Our clients include:

  • international and national companies and financial institutions;
  • founders, start-ups, and high-growth businesses;
  • investors (venture capital funds, corporate venture, angel clubs, and individuals).

Many of our clients are involved in the technology sector – including digital, SaaS, fintech, life sciences, design, and manufacturing.

We work at the forefront of technology transactions and market developments concerning M&A, capital raising, financial regulation, and commercial contracting.

We do not strive to be the biggest law firm – our aim is to be the New Zealand law firm of choice for our clients’ most important corporate and commercial matters.

EXPERTISE

We are experts in corporate law, finance law, commercial law, and technology law. It’s what we do, and we do it exceptionally well. Clients benefit from our expertise in:

  • M&A strategy
  • Pre-transaction readiness
  • Term sheets
  • Due diligence
  • Negotiating and drafting transaction agreements
  • Selling and buying companies and businesses
  • Warranty and indemnity insurance
  • Transaction financing
  • Transaction management (including coordination with other specialists and foreign lawyers, if relevant)
  • Post-transaction integration
  • Capital strategy
  • Pre-transaction readiness
  • Term sheets
  • Cap table management
  • SAFEs, Convertible Loans, Equity Financing
  • Spin-outs, seed funding, bridging rounds, Series A, Series B, etc
  • Venture capital transactions
  • Limited partnerships and venture capital funds
  • Venture debt transactions
  • Shareholders’ agreements
  • International capital raising and ‘flips’
  • Shareholder arrangements and joint ventures
  • Board governance and compliance advice
  • Resolving board, shareholder, and owner disputes
  • Financing and securities
  • Restructuring
  • Employee share schemes
  • Fintech advice
  • Product development including customer-facing terms
  • Financial regulation (including FMCA)
  • Consumer finance laws (CCCFA)
  • Banking and payment systems
  • AML/CFT
  • Open banking and data
  • Alliances – joint ventures, collaborations, commercial partnerships, investments and M&A
  • Due diligence
  • Funding structures
  • Receivables funding arrangements
  • Transaction financing
  • Negotiating and drafting contracts
  • Aviation law
  • IP commercialisation arrangements (transfers and licensing)
  • R&D, supplier, design, and manufacturing arrangements
  • Customer, sales, and distribution arrangements
  • Strategic alliances, joint ventures, teaming, and reseller agreements with key partners
  • Service and use agreements
  • Commercial leasing
  • Franchising
  • Digital, IT, communications, life sciences
  • SaaS models
  • Master services agreements
  • Agile development
  • Data, technology, and product licensing
  • Procurement strategies, ROI, RFI, RFQ, RFP documents and responses
  • User terms (web, mobile, SaaS, apps, etc)
  • Privacy and other compliance matters
  • Creating and protecting value
  • Building teams and strategic alliances
  • Customer and supplier arrangements
  • Advising directors
  • Capital raising (including seed funding, angel investing, crowd funding, venture capital, strategic investment)
  • Founder, investment, and shareholder agreements
  • M&A transactions (exits and acquisitions)

If you require guidance outside our areas of expertise, or outside New Zealand, we can seamlessly access other experts through our networks – unrestrained by the four walls of the traditional large law firm. Where other expertise is required, we can take responsibility for coordinating other experts for you so that you have a single point of contact, or we can work within a team of advisors.

Illustrative Work

Latest Blog Post

  • Lawyer recruitment

We’re recruiting: Law Graduate 2023 – Avid.legal

September 7th, 2022|

Law Graduate 2023 – Avid.legal (Wellington) What we’re looking for We’re looking for a recent/soon-to-be lawyer to join our Wellington-based team. We expect the position to start in February 2023 (but can be flexible around this). We’re looking for someone that is eager to learn, up for a challenge, and has good banter. If you’re not afraid of

OUR TEAM

Bruno Bordignon. Director at Avid Legal

Bruno
Bordignon

Director

Bruno is a co-founder and director of the firm. He has a strong commercial and technology focus, and regularly advises on M&A transactions. Bruno brings energy, a keen interest in business, and a practical approach to each engagement he is involved in.

P +64 21 277 6660
E bruno.bordignon@avid.legal
L View Bruno’s LinkedIn profile here

Murray Whyte. Director at Avid Legal

Murray
Whyte

Director

Murray is a co-founder and director of the firm. He advises clients on corporate and commercial matters, with a special interest in venture capital, technology, high-growth businesses, and life sciences. He is known for his clear, pragmatic advice and adept handling of M&A and capital raising transactions.

P +64 27 531 3730
E murray.whyte@avid.legal
L View Murray’s LinkedIn profile here

David Clarke. Director at Avid Legal

David
Clarke

Director

Dave is a director of the firm specialising in corporate and commercial law.   He provides clear and effective advice to assist clients achieve their commercial objectives.

P +64 27 244 5658
E david.clarke@avid.legal

Principal Judith Harper

Judith
Harper

Director

Judith is a director of the firm. She advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters with a special interest in technology, privacy, consumer finance, and aviation.

P +64 21 310 361
E judith.harper@avid.legal
L View Judith’s LinkedIn profile here

Katie Carson

Katie
Carson

Director

Katie is a director at the firm, based in Auckland, and bringing expertise across fintech, ventures, regulation and funding structures. Katie is a well-respected adviser known for her commitment to client service. She offers technical excellence combined with a commercial and accessible approach.

P +64 21 669 788
E katie.carson@avid.legal
L View Katie’s LinkedIn profile here

Senior Solicitor Tony Davis

Tony
Davis

Associate

Tony is an Associate in the firm. Tony is passionate about working alongside NZ’s high-growth businesses which bring the best of kiwi innovation and ingenuity to NZ and abroad.

P +64 27 312 2782
E tony.davis@avid.legal
L View Tony’s LinkedIn profile here

Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin
Ashworth

Associate

Caitlin is an Associate in the firm and is passionate about helping bright people achieve big goals for their businesses.

P +64 27 269 3359
E caitlin.ashworth@avid.legal
L View Caitlin’s LinkedIn profile here

Practice Manager Sophie Meaclem

Keshika
Durga

Solicitor

Kesh works across corporate and commercial transactions, with a keen interest in IP and M&A transactions. She enjoys advising early-stage tech start-ups and exploring legal issues related to technology and privacy.

P +64 21 116 2204
E  keshika.durga@avid.legal

Practice Manager Sophie Meaclem

Alice
Sparks

Solicitor

Alice is a law graduate with our firm. Since starting, she has been involved in a wide range of corporate and commercial matters including capital raises, employee share schemes and commercial agreements. Alice is passionate about helping innovative and ambitious businesses achieve their goals.

P +64 27 389 7163
E alice.sparks@avid.legal

Practice Manager Sophie Meaclem

Sophie
Meaclem

Practice Manager

Sophie is our practice manager and is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the firm and efficient operation of the firm’s accounting practices. She is the first point of contact for account and business queries.

P +64 27 771 8351
E sophie.meaclem@avid.legal

Practice Manager Sophie Meaclem

Nicole
Lythcott

Accounts Administrator

As our accounts administrator, Nicole is responsible for the daily management of the trust account & processing financial transactions for the firm. Nicole also handles our credit control and is the person to reach out to if you have any questions about billing or payments.

P +64 22 068 9554
E  nicole.lythcott@avid.legal

INTERNATIONAL

We assist New Zealand clients with global ambitions, and international clients with their New Zealand business.

We enjoy:

  • assisting New Zealand clients with global ambitions, leveraging our strong networks to work collaboratively with lawyers and other advisors in countries across the world to help achieve their goals; and
  • working with international clients with respect to their New Zealand business.

We have particularly strong experience working with clients, leading law firms and other advisors in Australia, parts of Asia, North America (particularly tech hubs), the UK and Europe.

Avid.legal is a member of:

  • the German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce;
  • World Tech Legal, a global association of law firms that have specific expertise in the technology sector.
Bruno Bordignon

BRUNO
BORDIGNON

Bruno has previously worked in Australia and the UK. He advises a wide variety of international clients on their New Zealand business, and regularly guides New Zealand clients with their foreign matters. Bruno has been a New Zealand TAGLaw contact since 2009 (including through his previous firm).

Murray Whyte

MURRAY
WHYTE

Murray has previously worked in Germany and Russia advising on international M&A transactions and contracts. He has advised on matters involving more than 50 countries. He maintains connections with clients and lawyers around the world. Murray is a member of the German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce.

FEES

Your choice of fee structure.

We have the flexibility to structure our fees in a way to suit you or your business. Your options include:

Hourly rates: our professional time charged at agreed hourly rates.

Fixed or capped price: agreed price or cap for identified work.

Retainer: fixed price periodic fee – usually on monthly basis for identified work over an agreed period of time.

Equity: in some circumstances we will work with start-ups and early stage companies on a part fee/part equity basis.

Please contact us to arrange an obligation free meeting to discuss your matter and the various fee options outlined above with us.

CONTACT US

Avid.legal Limited
Level 2
32 Blair Street,
Wellington 6011
PO Box 11677
Wellington 6142

P +64 4 550 5315