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Tax
Mayne Wetherell
Praised for being ‘highly technical and commercial at the same time’, the practice at Mayne Wetherell is a popular choice among large multinationals, major domestic banks and large finance companies. The team’s expertise encompasses tax litigation before the courts, as well as transactional work, including M&A, real estate investments and financing transactions. Overseeing both the Auckland and Wellington offices, practice head Brendan Brown specialises in corporate and international tax. Auckland-based partner Chris Harker is experienced in advising on the tax aspects of large-scale transactions. In Wellington, Tim Stewart provides the team with knowledge of the tax aspects of financing arrangements and the finance sector more generally.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Extremely responsive, very good communication.’
‘Highly technical and commercial at the same time. Chris Harker is extremely responsive - always available, turns things around quickly.’
‘The Mayne Wetherell team is extremely focussed on client service. This includes particularly very quick and efficient turnaround times and a strong attention to detail and to really understand the business/commercial aspects of the transaction so that the tax advice or drafting can be tailored accordingly. The team exudes professionalism and is at the cutting edge of the latest or developing tax issues in New Zealand. ’
‘Accurate and clear tax advice on complex matters consistently delivered on time even under extremely tight deadlines. ’
‘Brendan Brown and Tim Stewart are stand-out tax lawyers. Their clear communication, commercial awareness and thorough approach sets them apart from others in the industry.’
Key clients
- Spark New Zealand
- Corporate Taxpayers Group
- Genesis Energy
- Westpac New Zealand
- Avanti Finance
Work highlights
- Advised Spark New Zealand as the lead tax advisor on the acquisition by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board of a 70% interest in Spark’s passive tower infrastructure business.
- Advised Westpac New Zealand on the tax aspects of establishing its $10bn medium-term note programme and issuance of $750m fixed-rate notes under that programme.
- Advised Avanti Finance (one of New Zealand’s largest finance companies) on a NZ$250m transaction.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next Generation Partners
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Brendan Brown