Competition/Antitrust

Bell Gully maintains a market-leading competition practice which expertly combines transactional and litigation lawyers. Acts for an impressive array of blue-chip clients, advising both on major, often multi-jurisdictional mergers and other transactions and on sensitive cartel, misuse of market power and leniency-related issues. Additionally advises on broader regulatory issues, including market studies undertaken by the Commerce Commission. Well placed to work in tandem with the firm's corporate lawyers to provide holistic coverage of transactional mandates and no less experienced in teaming up with peers from international firms in support of both transactional and contentious matters. Key clients include BP, McGraw-Hill and Mylan.

A client who reports that "Bell Gully's key strength is their knowledge of our industry and business, which has been built up over years of service," also praises the team's "excellent, commercially oriented advice," based on "an intuitive understanding of the nature and type of advice required."

Another client, who maintains that Bell Gully "ranks at the top" of the competition market, cites the team's "great expertise and attention to detail" and "very responsive and commercial approach" as its key attributes.

Bell Gully advised Nippon Paper on competition aspects of its AUD1.7 billion acquisition of Orora Fibre's fibre business - as distinct from its retained beverage business - in Australia and New Zealand.

Glenn Shewan focuses on regulatory matters, his key areas of expertise including misuse of market power and cartel issues and the competition aspects of M&A transactions. Based in Auckland, he is described by a client as a "very personable, hard-working, responsive and intelligent lawyer."

Jenny Stevens is widely acknowledged by market sources as a litigator with a significant profile in the competition space, where she offers valuable experience of having represented the Commerce Commission and household-name regional and multinational businesses. A client notes that she is "great at dealing with complex litigation and regulatory matters." She is based in Wellington.

Torrin Crowther leads the Bell Gully competition team from the Auckland office, practising exclusively in the discipline and across the full range of relevant issues. Recognised by interviewees as "one of the top lawyers in the New Zealand competition field," he is characterised by a client as a "very commercial, accessible and available" adviser, noted for his "comprehensive knowledge of our business and industry."