Free Legal Templates up for Download
Tech law firm takes unusual step to share IP to benefit business
Technology is speeding up the commoditisation of many industries and thanks to a boutique New Zealand law firm, the
legal profession is the latest to feel the momentum of change.
Auckland and Wellington technology law firm Simmonds Stewart is challenging the status quo in the legal profession by
taking a very different approach to knowledge sharing.
The firm is using its website to publish a range of legal templates for technology companies to use free of charge –
documents many law firms would charge thousands of dollars for.
The firm regards it as an investment in New Zealand’s thriving technology industry.
“Disruption is happening in all sectors of business and there is only one direction it will continue to go. In the legal
fraternity, we want to lead this process rather than be left behind. Our initiative reflects a worldwide trend towards
knowledge sharing,” says partner Andrew Simmonds.
Simmonds Stewart works with tech start-ups through to multinational companies, tech investors, and corporates involved
in technology transactions. The firm is constantly looking for ways to make “the law” more accessible to the tech
sector, including early stage companies who need to get the legal basics right but have a limited budget for hiring
lawyers.
Simmonds says the templates – the firm has uploaded more than 40 – enable clients to become better informed about legal
processes.
“Both start-ups and established businesses can read through the documentation they need for actions they want to take.
The templates are user-friendly with extensive notes and create a lot of efficiencies both for clients and for our
firm,” says Simmonds.
“We are confident in giving away our legal templates because it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our
understanding of the technology sector.”
Simmonds says the impact of the initiative is clear. “Since we launched the free templates we have had over 6,000
downloads by close to 1,000 unique users from the New Zealand tech industry.
Simmonds Stewart first published a selection of free legal templates in March 2014, and has continued to release more
than 20 new templates in the past year. Most recently the firm published six new commercial templates for tech
businesses to cover key relationships with third parties, including a software reseller agreement and a
software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreement. Click here to view the templates.
About Simmonds Stewart
Simmonds Stewart is a boutique commercial law firm focussed on the technology sector, with offices in Wellington and
Auckland. The firm aims to make business easier for its clients, both in New Zealand and globally. All of its senior
lawyers have had overseas experience, and have been involved in many international technology transactions, including
IPOs, and mergers and acquisitions.
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