The annual Legal 500 Asia Pacific listings have been released with the New Zealand overview saying the firms traditionally regarded as the local elite have strong brands and remain dominant in many practice areas.
However, the commentary says there is growing room for boutique practices to flourish in sectors such as corporate and employment law.
The rankings are decided through research which includes interviews with specialist lawyers, chief executives, practice managers and clients (often in-house counsel). The researchers use set questionnaires and a wide-ranging set of criteria to focus on the "bench strength" of each team.
The UK-based Legal 500 has been established for 27 years and is published by Legalease Ltd. Firms and individuals are ranked in a number of areas of practice.
New Zealand firms which are ranked in the top three groups in each of the categories are as follows. Further information and details of individuals who are ranked may be found by following the link on the category:
Category | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Banking and Finance | Bell Gully | Kensington Swan | Anderson Lloyd |
Buddle Findlay | Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | Anthony Harper | |
Chapman Tripp | Simpson Grierson | Lowndes | |
Mayne Wetherell | |||
Russell McVeagh | |||
Corporate & M&A | Bell Gully | DLA Piper NZ | Anderson Lloyd |
Buddle Findlay | Harmos Horton Lusk | Anthony Harper | |
Chapman Tripp | Mayne Wetherell | Hesketh Henry | |
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | Webb Henderson | ||
Russell McVeagh | |||
Simpson Grierson | |||
Dispute Resolution | Bell Gully | Buddle Findlay | Anthony Harper |
Chapman Tripp | Gilbert Walker | DLA Piper NZ | |
Russell McVeagh | Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | Kensington Swan | |
Simpson Grierson | Wilson Harle | LeeSalmonLong | |
Lowndes | |||
Employment | Bell Gully | Chapman Tripp | Anthony Harper |
Buddle Findlay | Dundas Street | DLA Piper NZ | |
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | Kensington Swan | Hesketh Henry | |
SBM Legal | Kiely Thompson Caisley | Lane Neave | |
Simpson Grierson | LangtonHudsonButcher Lawyers | ||
Russell McVeagh | |||
Environment | Bell Gully | Buddle Findlay | Anderson Lloyd |
Chapman Tripp | Chancery Green | DLA Piper NZ | |
Russell McVeagh | Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | ||
Simpson Grierson | |||
Insurance | Chapman Tripp | Bell Gully | Hesketh Henry |
DAC Beachcroft LLP | Gilbert Walker | Simpson Grierson | |
DLA Piper NZ | Kensington Swan | Wynn Williams | |
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | |||
Wilson Harle | |||
Intellectual Property | AJ Park | Buddle Findlay | Anthony Harper |
Simpson Grierson | Chapman Tripp | Baldwins | |
Hudson Gavin Martin | Bell Gully | ||
Kensington Swan | |||
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | |||
Projects & Resource Management | Bell Gully | Buddle Findlay | Anderson Lloyd |
Buddle Findlay | Chancery Green | Greenwood Roche Chisnall | |
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | Kensington Swan | Wynn Williams | |
Russell McVeagh | |||
Simpson Grierson | |||
Real estate & construction | Bell Gully | Anthony Harper | AlexanderDorrington Lawyers |
Chapman Tripp | Buddle Findlay | Greenwood Roche Chisnall | |
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | DLA Piper NZ | Hesketh Henry | |
Russell McVeagh | Kensington Swan | ||
Simpson Grierson | Thompson Blackie Biddles | ||
Restructuring & insolvency | Bell Gully | Anthony Harper | DLA Piper NZ |
Buddle Findlay | Mayne Wetherell | Kensington Swan | |
Chapman Tripp | Russell McVeagh | Lowndes | |
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | |||
Simpson Grierson | |||
Tax | Bell Gully | Buddle Findlay | |
Chapman Tripp | Minter Ellison Rudd Watts | ||
Russell McVeagh | Simpson Grierson |
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