Our Capabilities

Bell Gully works across almost every sector of government and acts for a wide range of government clients. We also advise business on getting the best outcomes from its interaction with government.

Clients benefit from our deep-seated knowledge of how the public sector operates and the protocols that need to be absorbed by trusted advisers to public sector entities. Our approach is to provide clients with results-oriented legal advice that withstands the toughest scrutiny. For example, we have helped public sector entities minimise the judicial review risk in decisions involving rationing of funding, where competing commercial interests are at play and parties are highly motivated to challenge decisions. We draw on our extensive experience of large-scale and sensitive public sector procurement processes to give boards and management of Crown agencies, and department officials, confidence as to the most practical and appropriate way to manage process and probity issues.

We advise public sector entities on their activities within the public and administrative framework, particularly in relation to decision-making processes. We have significant experience in advising on the public sector's commercial activities and ensuring they fit within the scope of the entities' powers and functions. We are currently advising the public sector on large scale infrastructure investment as well as changes to the way those investments are being made – advising on the framework for and the first central Government Public Private Partnerships in New Zealand, and advising the Crown's investment vehicle on the Government's ultra-fast broadband initiative.

Regulation has a far-reaching impact on all sectors of the New Zealand economy. We advise a number of clients ranging from government departments to state-owned enterprises to dual-listed public companies on managing the most significant regulatory issues for them, including those relating to international obligations, and regularly represent our clients' interests when it comes to regulatory reform and in engagement with regulatory bodies. We have prepared submissions on a wide range of law reform matters in connection with primary, secondary and tertiary law reform.

Bell Gully assists with the legislative process, consultation and decision-making processes, delegations and governance, and we regularly advise on policy development and legislative drafting. For example, we drafted legislative provisions and advised departments during the passage of legislation to implement New Zealand's emissions trading scheme. We have also advised on the establishment, initial operation and governance of Crown agencies including Crown Fibre Holdings (a Schedule 4 Public Finance Act company), PHARMAC and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (both Crown entities).

Clients can draw on the considerable legislative and political experience of the Rt Hon Paul East QC, a consultant at Bell Gully and former New Zealand Attorney-General and senior Cabinet Minister, in better informing and influencing Government decisions and in managing regulatory, legislative and policy issues.