Regulatory Advice

Expertise

Our specialist knowledge and real world advice empower our clients to understand and adequately prepare for upcoming regulatory changes. This includes engaging with regulators to make submissions, clarify obligations and respond to complaints or investigations.

We are experts on the regulation in New Zealand of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and biometric technology.

We are fintech specialists – advising both established financial institutions and fintech challengers on New Zealand’s financial regulatory landscape – from financial product regulation to AML compliance. We advise across the fintech ecosystem, including on the operation and regulation of global payment platforms, “open banking”, crypto products and services, and digital identity offerings.

Our expertise also includes advising on telecommunications and surveillance obligations under New Zealand law.

We have extensive knowledge of consumer protection law in New Zealand and issues relating to food standards, retail advertising and promotions, ecommerce, and loyalty programmes. Our team has particular expertise in drafting consumer contracts for clients operating in the tech, media and communications sectors and in advising on New Zealand’s unfair contract terms regime.

Our gambling law practice advises digital and traditional gaming companies on complex issues raised by online gambling regulation.  We also advise on compliance with New Zealand's broadcasting standards and classification codes, from pre-publication review to responding to complaints or investigations.

Experience

• Assisting a global payment service provider with comprehensive advice on the NZ regulatory environment applying to crypto and digital assets.
• Advising a global payments platform in relation to the rollout of new products and services in New Zealand, sales of its services and SaaS solution in the APAC region and the procurement of services (including management of privacy issues) in North America and APAC.
• Advising a well-known digital asset exchange on the launch of its new digital wallet product.
• Advising global gaming and gambling companies on the operation of their businesses in New Zealand.
• Assisting a major New Zealand technology company with its submission on the development of New Zealand’s new consumer data right regulations.
• Advising a global professional services firm on its groundbreaking internal AI governance project, which now guides its AI decision-making, legal compliance assessments and contractual documentation.
• Advising an online tax software system on their new offering, which gave New Zealand businesses a single, combined tool for flexible payments and income tax compliance.
• Assisting an international e-commerce platform on a range of regulatory, product safety and consumer law matters in the course of its roll-out and subsequent operations in New Zealand.
• Advising a cryptocurrency exchange on regulatory issues with its products and services in NZ, including engaging with the regulator and advice on remediation and exit of certain products.
• Assisting several global automative manufacturers with Internet of Vehicles capabilities, including advising on data collection issues and their obligations under New Zealand’s laws on telecommunications interception, capability and security.
• Assisting a major New Zealand supermarket with its submission on the development of New Zealand’s new biometric processing privacy regulations.