New Zealand

New Zealand

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New Zealand is located in the South Pacific, made up of two main islands, with a total land area of 268,021 square kilometres. It is similar in size to Japan or Britain and has a population of 5.2 million.

Wellington is the capital city, while Auckland is the most populous with around a quarter of the country’s population. The next biggest city is Christchurch.

New Zealand has a common law system inherited from England. The system is similar to that found in many British Commonwealth countries and comprises of statute law made by Parliament, supplemented by a collection of common law or case law made by the courts.

The New Zealand Court system has four tiers; District Court; High Court; Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In additional to the Courts, New Zealand has a large number of specialist tribunals and bodies.

Due to its geographic location and the size of its population, New Zealand is a trade dependent economy, is reliant on Foreign Direct Investment and is a big proponent of a free and open market. Around 60% of its economic activity is made up from international trade. The currency is based on the New Zealand dollar, which is freely floated against all major currencies.

The major industries are agriculture (pastoral farming), horticulture and tourism. On a global scale New Zealand is the 12th largest agriculture exporter by value, the 2nd largest dairy exporter by value, the biggest sheep meat exporter and second biggest wool exporter. Other major industries include forestry, natural resources and fishing.

New Zealand economy depends on trade and is a strong advocate for free trade and the regional and international institutions that support it. New Zealand is party to a large number of free trade agreements, including with Australia, China, the EU, UK, Hong Kong, South Korea, ASEAN, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Chile. We are also signatories to the Comprehensive and Progressive TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) and to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Dentons is one of New Zealand’s leading commercial law firms with offices in Auckland and Wellington. Our teams collaborate to provide complete legal solutions that are tailored to each client. We are committed to providing a responsive, professional and client-centred approach.

Find New Zealand’s practice and sector expertise here.

Recognition

Dentons in New Zealand celebrates two rising stars recognised in the NZ Lawyer’s Future Leaders list

April 22, 2025

New Zealand: Dentons is proud to announce that Kate Rouch and Oliver Hobbs have been recognised as Future Leaders by Australasian Lawyer and NZ Lawyer. Selected from a competitive field of young legal professionals across Australia and New Zealand, they have been celebrated for their outstanding achievements, leadership and commitment to the legal profession.

Dentons in New Zealand achieves coveted double Gold ranking in WTR 1000 for IP Enforcement and Litigation and Prosecution and Strategy

February 10, 2025

Dentons New Zealand is proud to announce its Intellectual Property (IP) practice has received Gold recognition in the WTR 1000 rankings for Enforcement and Litigation as well as Prosecution and Strategy. The rankings reinforce Dentons’ dedication to top-tier client service and expertise in New Zealand IP law.

WTR 1000 2025: Dentons’ lawyers among world’s leading trademark professionals

February 3, 2025

The World Trademark Review has highly ranked Dentons in the 2025 edition of WTR 1000 – the directory recognizing the world’s leading trademark legal services providers and practitioners.

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Insights

Transforming national direction: Government seeks input on wide-ranging RMA changes

June 10, 2025

New Zealand: On 29 May 2025, the Government launched public consultation on what it describes as the most significant package of changes to ‘national direction’ (national policy statements and national environmental standards) under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) in New Zealand’s history. In this Insight we briefly outline the new and amended national direction instruments included in each package and provide further detail on selected changes.

DIA crackdown on social media influencers advertising offshore casinos and gambling

June 5, 2025

New Zealand: In recent months, the DIA has taken notice of social media influencers who have been illegally promoting overseas casinos and online gambling, leading to the DIA issuing formal warning or ‘cease and desist' letters to a group of influencers in March and April. After influencer Millie Elder-Holmes failed to heed the DIA’s warning, the DIA issued her a fine of NZ$5,000 in May. With continued monitoring and reportedly an ongoing “watchlist”, there might be more fines to come.

Employment Echo - June Edition

June 5, 2025

New Zealand: A recent Employment Court decision reaffirms reinstatement as the primary remedy for unjustified dismissal claims and a High Court decision clarifies the duty to protect ‘other persons’ under the Health & Safety at Work Act. We also outline extended obligations to hold copies of employment agreements, and consider a recent decision in the Human Rights Review Tribunal examining allegations of pregnancy discrimination.

View all insights for New Zealand