Legal launch a first for New Zealand

25 March 2009

Legal launch a first for New Zealand

New Zealand’s legal landscape will gain a major new resource tonight (25 March) with the launch of the country’s first practice manual for lawyers working in-house in the private and public sectors.

The Essential Guide to In-house Practice is a joint initiative between the Corporate Lawyers Association of New Zealand (CLANZ) and its long-time principal sponsor, law firm Bell Gully.

The guide, which contains practical and relevant information on legal subjects and managing in-house practice, will be launched at simultaneous events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Attorney-General Chris Finlayson is the special guest and speaker in Wellington and CLANZ patron Hon Sir Ian Barker, QC will do the honours in Auckland.

CLANZ is a section of the New Zealand Law Society providing leadership and support to lawyers working in corporate, government and other organisations, rather than in private practice.

Its president Rebecca Holbrook says the guide is one of the most significant developments since CLANZ was formed 22 years ago.

“For the first time in one place, our members will have at hand a comprehensive and very practical resource as a guide to the many areas of law that as in-house counsel we encounter in our day-to-day work.

“As a professional body we are focused on promoting best practice among in-house counsel and for this the guide is an important and useful tool. It is a very valuable resource and will be particularly so for lawyers new to working in-house or new to particular areas of law.”

Partner Dean Oppenhuis, who has led the project for Bell Gully, says the Bell Gully partners and lawyers who have written chapters in the guide in their areas of expertise, value the opportunity to be part of a project that will make a difference for in-house counsel.

“As a firm we have long recognised and supported the work of CLANZ and the guide has been a very practical and rewarding way for us to further demonstrate our commitment to what it is trying to achieve for New Zealand’s in-house lawyers.”

The guide’s first chapters cover areas such as legal professional privilege, resource management, property, corporate governance, competition, e-commerce, intellectual property and managing litigation. Further chapters will be added in coming months and existing content kept updated to reflect new legal developments.
The guide is available to CLANZ premium members exclusively on a special section of the new CLANZ website www.clanzonline.org.

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