The Legal 500 Asia Pacific rankings for 2020 have been released, with New Zealand lawyers ranked in 14 different categories of legal practice.
Published by London-based Legalease Ltd, the Guide has appeared annually for 31 years. It is put together from a variety of sources and uses referee reports.
The Guide ranks law firms in a number of bands for each of the categories. It also lists individual New Zealand lawyers working in firms who it deams to be "Leading Individuals", "Next Generation Partners" or "Rising Stars". New Zealand lawyers who are listed in these categories are as follows:
Banking and Finance
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Cathryn Barber | Chapman Tripp | Daniel Meikle | Mayne Wetherell |
| Deemple Budhia | Russell McVeagh | Mei Nah | Mayne Wetherell |
| Geoff Busch | Anderson Lloyd | Chris O'Brien | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Josh Cairns | Simpson Grierson | Nigel Oliver | Anthony Harper |
| Katie Carson | DLA Piper New Zealand | Peter Owles | Buddle Findlay |
| David Craig | Bell Gully | Ross Pennington | Chapman Tripp |
| Tom Fall | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | John Powell | Russell McVeagh |
| Paul Farrugia | Buddle Findlay | Mark Reese | Chapman Tripp |
| Grant Goldsmith | Anthony Harper | John-Paul Rice | Vince& Rice |
| Andrew Harkness | Simpson Grierson | Emma Sutcliffe | Chapman Tripp |
| Murray King | Bell Gully | Michael Thompson | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Kate Lane | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Will Tipping | Mayne Wetherell |
| Guy Lethbridge | Russell McVeagh | Dave Wetherell | Mayne Wetherell |
| David McPherson | Bell Gully | Nicole Xanthopol | Webb Henderson |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Gerard Souness | Chapman Tripp | David Weavers | Russell McVeagh |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Alice von Batenburg | Anthony Harper | Emma Kerr | Anderson Lloyd |
| Pip Breitmeyer | Anthony Harper | Marie Kissick | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Rachel Brown | Anderson Lloyd | Dominic Toomey | Simpson Grierson |
| Daniel Collins | Buddle Findlay | | |
Competition Law
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Neil Anderson | Chapman Tripp | Simon Ladd | Bell Gully |
| Anne Callinan | Simpson Grierson | Andrew Matthews | Matthews Law |
| James Craig | Simpson Grierson | Oliver Meech | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Torrin Crowther | Bell Gully | Ross Patterson | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Grant David | Chapman Tripp | Troy Pilkington | Russell McVeagh |
| Tony Dellow | Buddle Findlay | Jenny Stevens | Bell Gully |
| Ian Denton | Wilson Harle | Matt Sumpter | Chapman Tripp |
| Sarah Keene | Russell McVeagh | Mark Williamson | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Lucy Cooper | Chapman Tripp | Glenn Shewan | Bell Gully |
| Felicity Monteiro | Wilson Harle | Gus Stewart | Matthews Law |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Nina Blomfield | Simpson Grierson | Anna Parker | Buddle Findlay |
| Colin Fife | Chapman Tripp | Michael Tilley | Bell Gully |
| Kristel McMeekin | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | | |
Corporate and M&A
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Erich Bachmann | Hesketh Henry | Michael Pollard | Simpson Grierson |
| Anna Buchly | Bell Gully | Graeme Quigley | Webb Henderson |
| Grant Dunn | Buddle Findlay | Cathy Quinn | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Rachel Dunne | Chapman Tripp | Silvana Schenone | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| David Flacks | Flacks & Wong | David Shillson | Kensington Swan |
| James Gibson | Bell Gully | Garth Sinclair | Webb Hendersno |
| Brynn Gilbertson | Bell Gully | Nathanael Starrenburg | Harmos Horton Lusk Ltd |
| David Gould | Anthony Harper | John Strowger | Chapman Tripp |
| Andrew Harmos | Harmos Horton Lusk Ltd | Mark Stuart | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Paul Hartland | Lowndes | Cameron Taylor | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| James Hawes | Simpson Grierson | Rachel Taylor | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| David Hoare | Russell McVeagh | Martin Thomson | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Don Holborow | Simpson Grierson | Tim Tubman | Chapman Tripp |
| Greg Horton | Harmos Horton Lusk Ltd | Simon Vodanovich | Buddle Findlay |
| Glenn Joblin | Bell Gully | Roger Wallis | Chapman Tripp |
| Mei Fern Johnson | Russell McVeagh | Joe Windmeyer | Russell McVeagh |
| Dan Jones | Russell McVeagh | Martin Wiseman | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Mark Lowndes | Lowndes | Daniel Wong | Flacks & Wong |
| Andrew Matthews | Simpson Grierson | Reuben Woods | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Matthew Olsen | Mayne Wetherell | | |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Nick
Bragg | Buddle Findlay | Heida Donegan | Kensington Swan |
| Alexander Campbell | Anthony Harper | Nick Kovacevich | Couch Harlowe Kovacevich |
| Megan Compton | Anthony Harper | Sarah McEwan | Buddle Findlay |
| John Conlan | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Ben Paterson | Russell McVeagh |
| Lauren Curtayne | Chapman Tripp | Joshua Pringle | Chapman Tripp |
| Kerri Dewe | Lowndes | Catherine Shirley-Brown | Simpson Grierson |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Jennifer Coote | Bell Gully | Benjamin Sutton | Buddle Findlay |
| Igor Drinkovic | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Julilka Wahlmann-Smith | Hesketh Henry |
| Bede Maher | Anderson Lloyd | | |
Dispute Resolution
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Sarah Armstrong | Russell McVeagh | Jeremy Johnson | Wynn Williams |
| Jania Baigent | Simpson Grierson | Daniel Kalderimis | Chapman Tripp |
| Chris Browne | Wilson Harle | Simon Ladd | Bell Gully |
| Malcolm Crotty | Russell McVeagh | Richard Lange | Simpson Griersno |
| Sophie East | Bell Gully | John McKay | Chapman Tripp |
| Allison Ferguson | Wilson Harle | Mark Sandelin | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| David Friar | Bell Gully | John Shackleton | Simpson Griersno |
| Justin Graham | Chapman Tripp | Stacey Shortall | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Matthew Harris | Gilbert Walker | Martin Smith | Gilbert Walker |
| Michael Heard | LeeSalmonLong | Jenny Stevens | Bell Gully |
| Andrew Horne | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Iain Thain | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Dan Hughes | Anthony Harper | Hayden Wilson | Kensington Swan |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Sebastian Bisley | Buddle Findlay | Isaac Hikaka | LeeSalmonLong |
| David Broadmore | Buddle Findlay | Alicia Murray | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Chris Curran | Russell McVeagh | Kelly Paterson | Buddle Findlay |
| Marika Eastwick-Field | Russell McVeagh | Jesse Wilson | Bell Gully |
| Laura Fraser | Chapman Tripp | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Alexander Ho | Gilbert Walker | Emma Moran | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Reece Leggett | Kensington Swan | Rebecca Rose | Bell Gully |
Insurance
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Cecily Brick | Fee Langstone | Andrew Horne | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Pauline Davies | Fee Langstone | John Knight | Chapman Tripp |
| Ian Denton | Wilson Harle | Caroline Laband | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Philippa Fee | Fee Langstone | Simon Ladd | Bell Gully |
| Matthew Francis | Wotton + Kearney | Craig Langstone | Fee Langstone |
| David Friar | Bell Gully | Peter Leman | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Garth Gallaway | Chapman Tripp | Michael Robertson | Robertsons |
| Robert Gapes | Simpson Grierson | Martin Smith | Gilbert Walker |
| Matthew Harris | Gilbert Walker | Helen Twomey | Robertsons |
| Antony Holden | Wotton + Kearney | Emily Walton | Wynn Williams |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Brad Cuff | DLA Piper New Zealand | Felicity Monteiro | Wilson Harle |
| Richard Flinn | Wotton + Kearney | Rebecca Scott | Wotton + Kearney |
| Misha Henaghan | DLA Piper New Zealand | Virginia Wethey | Fee Langstone |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Nick Frith | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Andrew Moore | Wotton + Kearney |
| Hugh King | Wotton + Kearney | | |
Intellectual Property
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Anton Blijlevens | AJ Park | Charlotte Henley | Kensington Swan |
| Damian Broadley | AJ Park | Wes Jones | Baldwins |
| Penny Catley | Baldwins | Michael Moyes | Duncan Cotterill |
| Joe Edwards | Russell McVeagh | Alan Ringwood | Bell Gully |
| Ian Finch | James & Wells | Jason Rudkin-Binks | Hudson Gavin Martin |
| Mark Gavin | Anthony Harper | Jenni Rutter | Kensington Swan |
| John Glengarry | Buddle Findlay | Matt Sumpter | Chapman Tripp |
| Justin Graham | Chapman Tripp | Richard Watts | Simpson Grierson |
| Mark Hargreaves | AJ Park | Christopher Young | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Sarah Chapman | Simpson Grierson | Hamish Selby | Buddle Findlay |
| Sooyun Lee | Bell Gully | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Laura Carter | Hudson Gavin Martin | Lucy Hudson | Baldwins |
| Tom Cleary | Chapman Tripp | Jullion Nelson Parker | Anthony Harper |
| Kate Giddens | Baldwins | Raymond Scott | Simpson Grierson |
| Caroline Herbert | Hudson Gavin Martin | | |
Investment Funds
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Tracey Cross | DLA Piper New Zealand | Penny Sheerin | Chapman Tripp |
| Catriona Grover | Kensington Swan | Rachel Taylor | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| David Ireland | Kensington Swan | Tim Williams | Chapman Tripp |
| Lloyd Kavanagh | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Haydn Wong | Bell Gully |
| Alasdair McBeth | DLA Piper New Zealand | Mike Woodbury | Chapman Tripp |
| Jeremy Muir | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | | |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Nicole MacFarlane | DLA Piper New Zealand | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Tom Barnes | DLA Piper New Zealand | Phoebe Gibbons | Chapman Tripp |
| Maria Collett-Bevan | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Tom McLaughlin | Kensington Swan |
| Emma Dale | Chapman Tripp | Neisha Mistry | DLA Piper New Zealand |
Labour and Employment
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Kathryn Beck | SBM Legal | Stephen Langton | LangtonHudstonButcher |
| Jackie Behrnes | Anthony Harper | Don Mackinnon | SBM Legal |
| Rachael Brown | Bell Gully | Phillipa Muir | Simpson Grierson |
| Emma Butcher | LangrodHudsonButcher | Megan Richards | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Andrew Caisley | Kiely Thompson Caisley | Jim Roberts | Hesketh Henry |
| Peter Chemis | Buddle Findlay | Laura Scampion | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Tim Clarke | Bell Gully | Andrew Schirnack | LangtonHudstonButcher |
| Sherridan Cook | Buddle Findlay | Blair Scotland | Dundas Street |
| Kylie Dunn | Russell McVeagh | Gillian Service | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| David France | Kiely Thompson Caisley | Bridget Smith | SBM Legal |
| Garth Gallaway | Chapman Tripp | Penny Swarbrick | SBM Legal |
| John Hannan | DLA Piper New Zealand | Samantha Turner | Simpson Grierson |
| Susan Hornsby-Geluk | Dundas Street | Shan Wilson | Simpson Grierson |
| Peter Kiely | Kiely Thompson Caisley | Marie Wisker | Chapman Tripp |
| Hamish Kynaston | Buddle Findlay | | |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Liz Coats | Bell Gully | James Warren | Kensington Swan |
| Charlotte Parkhill | Kensington Swan | Ros Webby | Dundas Street |
| Ronelle Tomkinson | LangtonHudsonButcher | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Melissa Johnston | DLA Piper New Zealand | Tim Oldfield | SBM Legal |
| Mere King | Buddle Findlay | Rebecca Rendle | Simpson Grierson |
| Chloe Luscombe | Dundas Street | Rosemary Wooders | Bell Gully |
| Matthew McGoldrick | SBM Legal | Scott Worthy | Kiely Thompson Caisley |
| Fiona McMillan | Anderson Lloyd | | |
Projects and Resource Management (including Environment)
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Kerry Anderson | DLA Piper New Zealand | Bill Loutit | Simpson Grierson |
| Jo Appleyard | Chapman Tripp | Paul Majurey | Atkins Holm Majurey |
| Allison Arthur-Young | Russell McVeagh | Philip Maw | Wynn Williams |
| Helen Atkins | Atkins Holm Majurey | Nicky McIndoe | Kensington Swan |
| Andrew Beatson | Bell Gully | Padraig McNamara | Simpson Grierson |
| Paul Beverley | Buddle Findlay | Peter Owles | Buddle Findlay |
| Paula Brosnahan | Chapman Tripp | Stephen Quinn | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Paul Buetow | Kensington Swan | Chris Simmons | Chancery Green |
| Brian Clayton | Chapman Tripp | Sarah Sinclair | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Rachel Devine | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Simon Watt | Bell Gully |
| Chris Gordon | Bell Gully | Michael Weatherall | Simpson Grierson |
| Hugh Kettle | Bell Gully | Jason Welsh | Chancery Green |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Hamish Bolland | Chapman Tripp | Sarah Scott | Simpson Grierson |
| Natasha Garvan | Bell Gully | Kirstie Wyss | Wynn Williams |
| Michelle Mehlhopt | Wynn Williams | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Matthew Gribben | Buddle Findlay | Simon Pilkinton | Russell McVeagh |
| Claire Harmsworth | Bell Gully | Travis Tomlinson | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
Real Estate and Construction
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Tim Barclay | Anthony Harper | Denise Marsden | AlexanderDorrington Ltd |
| Joe Biddles | Thompson Blackie Biddles | John Meads | Kensington Swan |
| James Blackie | Thompson Blackie Biddles | Andrew Monteith | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| David Butler | Russell McVeagh | Mark Nicholson | Chapman Tripp |
| Matthew Carroll | Chapman Tripp | Matthew Ockleston | Kensington Swan |
| David Chisnall | Bell Gully | Alan Paterson | Anderson Lloyd |
| Brian Clayton | Chapman Tripp | Andrew Peterson | Bell Gully |
| Ed Crook | Russell McVeagh | Ross Pickmere | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Debra Dorrington | AlexanderDorrington Ltd | Polly Pope | Russell McVeagh |
| Edward Dunphy | Anthony Harper | Stephen Price | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Ish Fraser | Kensington Swan | Sarah Sinclair | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| David Gilbert | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Janine Stewart | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Nick Gillies | Hesketh Henry | Greg Thompson | Thompson Blackie Biddles |
| Jane Holland | Bell Gully | Greg Towers | Simpson Grierson |
| Jo-Anne Knight | Simpson Grierson | Michael Weatherall | Simpson Grierson |
| Simon Ladd | Bell Gully | Mark Williamson | DLA Piper New Zealand |
| Justin March | DLA Piper New Zealand | Michael Wood | Simpson Grierson |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Ian Becke | Bell Gully | Anna Crosbie | Russell McVeagh |
| Hamish Bolland | Chapman Tripp | Paula Ormandy | Kensington Swan |
| Heath Brunton | DLA Piper New Zealand | Nick Wilson | Simpson Grierson |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Tim Bunker | Anthony Harper | Jessica Hanning | Anthony Harper |
| Miles Dean | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Dan Williams | Anderson Lloyd |
Restructuring and Insolvency
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Scott Abel | Buddle Findlay | Matthew Kersey | Russell McVeagh |
| Michael Anderson | Lowndes | Michael Langdon | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Michael Arthur | Chapman Tripp | James McMillan | Kensington Swan |
| Scott Barker | Buddle Findlay | David McPherson | Bell Gully |
| James Caird | Simpson Grierson | David Perry | Buddle Findlay |
| Josh Cairns | Simpson Grierson | Polly Pope | Russell McVeagh |
| Sean Golin | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Mark Sandelin | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Richard Gordon | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Crispin Vinnell | Anthony Harper |
| Michael Harper | Chapman Tripp | Mike Whale | Lowndes |
| Dan Hughes | Anthony Harper | | |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Mihai Pascariu | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Jennifer Tunna | Lowndes |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Chloe Jolliffe | Anthony Harper | Myles O'Brien | Buddle Findlay |
| Janko Marcetic | Chapman Tripp | Lynne Van | Anthony Harper |
| Nick Moffatt | Bell Gully | | |
Tax
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Brendan Brown | Russell McVeagh | David Patterson | Chapman Tripp |
| Barney Cumberland | Simpson Grierson | Neil Russ | Buddle Findlay |
| Stuart Hutchinson | Simpson Grierson | Andrew Ryan | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Kirty Keating | EY Law Ltd | Willy Sussman | Bell Gully |
| Mathew McKay | Bell Gully | Fred Ward | Russell McVeagh |
| Graham Murray | Bell Gully | Tony Wilkinson | Buddle Findlay |
| Graeme Olding | Chapman Tripp | | |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Sacha Oudyn | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Hayden Roberts | Bell Gully |
| Campbell Pentney | Bell Gully | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Nick Bland | Simpson Grierson | | |
Technology, Media and Telecommunication
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Mei Fern Johnson | Russell McVeagh | Karen Ngan | Simpson Grierson |
| Edwin Lim | Hudson Gavin Martin | Dean Oppenhuis | Bell Gully |
| Tom Maasland | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Jane Parker | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| Simon Martin | Hudson Gavin Martin | Ross Patterson | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| John McCay | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Amy Ryburn | Buddle Findlay |
| Bruce McClintock | Chapman Tripp | Tim Sherman | Chapman Tripp |
| Kelly McFadzien | Chapman Tripp | Philip Wood | Buddle Findlay |
| Hayley Miller | Kensington Swan | Allan Yeoman | Buddle Findlay |
| Michael Moyes | Anthony Harper | | |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Anchali Anandanayagam | Hudson Gavin Martin | Renee Stiles | Buddle Findlay |
| Liz Blythe | Russell McVeagh | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Kate Cruickshank | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | Damien Steel-Baker | Buddle Findlay |
| Andrew Dentice | Hudson Gavin Martin | Louise Taylor | Simpson Grierson |
| Keri Johansson | Buddle Findlay | Nick Valentine | DLA Piper New Zealand |
Transport (Rail, Road, Air and Sea)
| Name | Firm | Name | Firm |
| Andrew Beatson | Bell Gully | Michael McCarthy | Lowndes |
| Tom Bennett | Buddle Findlay | Felicity Monteiro | Wilson Harle |
| Simon Cartwright | Hesketh Henry | Alan Sherlock | Hesketh Henry |
| Torrin Crowther | Bell Gully | Michael Weatherall | Simpson Grierson |
| Chris Dann | Anthony Harper | Michael Wood | Simpson Grierson |
| John Knight | Chapman Tripp | | |
| | | | |
| Next Generation Partners | | | |
| Lisa Curran | Simpson Grierson | | |
| | | | |
| Rising Stars | | | |
| Kerryn Webster | Wilson Harle | | |
