- Open to all Debt Market deals that closed (not just signed or announced) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 for which the majority of the legal work was NZ-based. Each organisation may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on its NZ aspects according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Award Categories
Thursday 28 November 2024 | VIADUCT EVENTS CENTRE, AUCKLAND
The New Zealand Law Awards Categories and Criteria
Deal Awards
Debt Market Deal of the Year
Equity Market Deal of the Year
- Open to all Equity Market deals that closed (not just signed or announced) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 for which the majority of the legal work was NZ-based. Each organisation may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on its NZ aspects according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Project Finance Deal of the Year
- Open to all Project Finance deals that closed (not just signed or announced) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 for which the majority of the legal work was NZ-based. Each organisation may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on its NZ aspects according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
M&A Deal of the year
- Open to all M&A deals that closed (not just signed or announced) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 for which the majority of the legal work was NZ-based. Each organisation may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on its NZ aspects according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Insolvency and restructuring deal of the year
- Open to all insolvency and restructuring deals that closed (not just signed or announced) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 for which the majority of the legal work was NZ-based. Each organisation may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on its NZ aspects according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
Mid-Market Deal of the year
- Open to all deals with a value of NZD50-500m that closed (not just signed or announced) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 for which the majority of the legal work was NZ-based. Each organisation may nominate a maximum of three deals.
- Judged on its NZ aspects according to four criteria – size, complexity, breadth and innovation.
In-House Awards
Young In-House Lawyer of the year (35 or under)
- Open to qualified lawyers not exceeding 35 years of age as at 31 March 2024; and permanently employed within the in-house legal function of an organisation operating in New Zealand.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of their work between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
James & Wells In-House Lawyer of the Year
- Open to qualified lawyers permanently employed within the in-house legal function of an organisation operating in New Zealand.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of their work between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Financial Services In-House Team of the year
- Open to in-house legal teams in a banking, insurance or financial services organisation operating in New Zealand.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of its work between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Please note, the winner of this category will automatically progress to become an excellence awardee in In-House Team of the Year.
Energy In-House Team of the Year
- Open to in-house legal teams in an energy organisation operating in New Zealand.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of its work between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Please note, the winner of this category will automatically progress to become an excellence awardee in In-House Team of the Year.
Telecommunications In-House Team of the Year
- Open to in-house legal teams in a Telecommunications organisation operating in New Zealand.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of its work between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Please note, the winner of this category will automatically progress to become an excellence awardee in In-House Team of the Year.
Russell McVeagh in-house team of the year
- Open to in-house legal teams that do not qualify for the Financial Services In-House Team, Energy In-House Team or Telecommunications In-House Team categories.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of its work between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Winners of the Financial Services In-House Team, Energy In-House Team and Telecommunications In-House Team categories will automatically progress to become excellence awardees of In-House Team of the Year.
Firm Awards
Chisholm Clarke young private practice lawyer of the year (35 or under)
- Open to qualified lawyers not exceeding 35 years of age as at 31 March 2024; and permanently employed within a law firm in NZ.
- Judged on the quantity, quality, importance and innovativeness of their work between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
- Please note individual firms are only allowed to put forward two nominations from their firm for this category.
employment law specialist firm of the year
- Open to law firms that derive at least 50% of their revenue from employment law matters.
- Judged on expertise demonstrated between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
litigation & dispute resolution specialist law firm of the year
- Open to law firms that derive at least 50% of their revenue from litigation and dispute resolution matters.
- Judged on expertise demonstrated between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
intellectual property specialist law firm of the year
- Open to law firms that derive at least 50% of their revenue from intellectual property law matters.
- Judged on expertise demonstrated between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Baker Tilly Staples Rodway property & construction specialist law firm of the year
- Open to law firms that derive at least 50% of their revenue from property and construction law matters.
- Judged on expertise demonstrated between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
insurance specialist law firm of the year
- Open to law firms that derive at least 50% of their revenue from insurance law matters.
- Judged on expertise demonstrated between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
LexisNexis boutique law firm of the year
- Open to law firms that derive at least 50% of their revenue from a single practice area
- Firms that do not qualify for the specialist firm categories (Employment Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Property & Construction and Insurance) should be nominated in this category.
- Judged on expertise demonstrated between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Fluid Legal Recruitment employer of choice (<100 lawyers)
- Open to law firms employing 1-100 lawyers on a full-time basis as at 31 March 2024.
- Judged on performance between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 across aspects such as employee engagement and retention, diversity and inclusion, remuneration and benefits, training and development, leadership, reward and recognition and work-life balance.
Realaml employer of choice (>100 lawyers)
- Open to law firms employing 101+ lawyers on a full-time basis as at 31 March 2024.
- Judged on performance between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 across aspects such as employee engagement and retention, diversity and inclusion, remuneration and benefits, training and development, leadership, reward and recognition and work-life balance.
LEAP Legal Software Mid-Size Law Firm of the Year
- Open to law firms with 6-24 partners.
- Judged on expertise across a range of practice areas between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Robert Walters Large law firm of the year
- Open to law firms with 25+ partners.
- Judged on expertise across a range of practice areas between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Law firm leader of the year (≤100 lawyers)
- Open to managing partners, CEOs or similar of a NZ law firm with no more than 100 lawyers employed on a full-time basis as at 31 March 2024.
- Judged on his/her achievements and performance during the period 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Law firm leader of the year (>100 lawyers)
- Open to managing partners, CEOs or similar of a NZ law firm with more than 100 lawyers employed on a full-time basis as at 31 March 2024.
- Judged on his/her achievements and performance between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.
Profession Awards
diversity & inclusion initiative of the year
- Open to all NZ-based law firms and in-house legal teams.
- Judged on the concrete steps the law firm or in-house legal teams took during 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.