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In this episode, Technology Partners Tom Maasland and Kate Cruickshank discuss the technology policy issues shaping the 2026 Election and the potential implications for businesses and the wider technology sector.

[01:49] Kate and Tom discuss how technology policy has moved into the mainstream this election, with AI governance and data centre infrastructure emerging as key election issues.

[03:00] They consider the different approaches political parties are proposing to AI regulation. They note that while there is broad consensus on AI's economic potential, their discussion highlights the contrasting policy views, ranging from National's...

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In this final episode of the Election 2026 podcast series, Solicitor Michael O’Brien is joined by Partner Briony Davies and Special Counsel Daniel Fielding to discuss what happens after New Zealanders cast their votes. Their discussion explores the constitutional, legal and political processes that take place between election day and the formation of a new government, including coalition negotiations, the role of the Governor-General, and what businesses and stakeholders should be watching during this period.

[01:36] Briony and Daniel explain what elections do from a legal and constitutional perspective, the distinction between Pa...

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In this episode, privacy experts Richard Wells and Suzy McMillan discuss key privacy law obligations when engaging service providers, including who remains responsible for personal information under the Privacy Act 2020, the often-overlooked requirements of IPP 5, and practical steps organisations should take to manage security risks.

[01:18] Richard and Suzy discuss who remains responsible for personal information when it is handed over to a third-party service provider. Suzy explains that, under section 11 of the Privacy Act, organisations generally retain responsibility for personal information, even when it is stored or processed by a third...

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In this episode of Level Playing Field, Sports Law Partner Richard Wells and Senior Associate Sarah Redding move from the theory behind New Zealand's major events framework to the practical realities of how it operates on the ground. Building on the first episode in this two-part series, they explore how the Major Events Management Act 2007 (MEMA) protects sponsors, event organisers and government investment through ambush marketing restrictions, clean zones and enforcement mechanisms. Richard and Sarah also discuss how the major events regime has evolved since the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the balance that...

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In this episode of Election 2026, Partner and Head of our IP team Christopher Young is joined by Daniel Fielding, Special Counsel, and Michael O'Brien, Solicitor, from our Public Law team to explore New Zealand's election advertising regime. They discuss the broad definition of election advertising, the intellectual property and advertising law issues that can arise during campaigns, and the key Electoral Act rules that political parties, candidates and third parties need to understand.

[00:10] Chris introduces the episode and its focus on election year advertising and the rules surrounding it. What is...

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In this episode, Financial Services Partner Jeremy Muir and Senior Associate Ken Ng discuss the Financial Markets Authority's (FMA) fintech regulatory sandbox pilot. Drawing on their insights advising several pilot participants, they explore the programme's key outcomes, lessons learned, and what comes next for fintech regulation in New Zealand.

[01:53] Jeremy and Ken discuss the purpose of the FMA’s regulatory sandbox pilot and why it was established, providing fintechs with a controlled environment to test innovative products and bespoke business models under regulatory oversight. Ken explains how the initiative sought to ba...

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In this episode of our Election 2026 Senior Associate Mark Calderwood is joined by Special Counsel, Daniel Fielding to unpack the mechanics of New Zealand's electoral system and what happens after ballots are cast. They discuss who can vote, recent changes to enrolment rules, advance and special voting, and how provisional election night results become official results. Mark and Daniel also explore the checks, safeguards and scrutiny built into the counting process, the impact special votes can have on the final outcome, and the legal mechanisms available to challenge election results, including recounts and...

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In this episode, Partner Tom Maasland and Special Counsel Sonya Forbes from our Technology team discuss how to set technology transformation projects up for success from the outset. Drawing on lessons from major New Zealand public sector technology transformation projects, they explore the practical, commercial and legal steps organisations can take to improve outcomes and reduce the risk of cost overruns, delays and disputes.

[01:12] Sonya discusses the recent Immigration New Zealand's Biometric Capability Update (BCU) project and how it illustrates the challenges of large-scale technology transformations. Sonya and Tom then discuss...

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In this follow-on episode, Technology Partner Tom Maasland and Senior Associate Jess Bremner from our Corporate and Commercial team revisit their August 2025 discussion on New Zealand's data centre opportunity.

Drawing on insights from the recent Data Centre Leaders’ Summit, they explore how the conversation has shifted from identifying New Zealand's competitive advantages to considering how the country might realise its potential as a digital infrastructure hub, and the possible economic, infrastructure and societal benefits for future generations.

[00:20] Jess explains how the conversation has shifted significantly over the past year. Ra...

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In this episode, Senior Associates Alex Church and Oliver Sutton discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming litigation practice. They explore emerging disclosure requirements, the risks associated with AI-generated content, the growing prevalence of deepfakes, and the practical ways AI is improving efficiency for lawyers, courts and businesses.

[00:05] Alex and Oliver introduce the key developments shaping AI's role in litigation. They discuss emerging disclosure obligations in New Zealand and overseas, recent court guidance, and why businesses should be paying close attention to changing expectations around AI governance and accountability.

[05:06] The...

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In this episode, employment partners Gillian Service and Megan Evans revisit their earlier discussion on the proposed reforms and compare those expectations against the final legislation. They unpack what has changed, what has stayed the same, and the practical steps employers should be taking now to prepare for implementation.

[00:30] Gillian and Megan reflect on their previous discussion about the proposed reforms and explain that most of the anticipated changes have made their way into the final Act. They recap the key themes from the earlier Bill and identify the refinements introduced...

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In this episode of Level Playing Field, Sports Law Partner Richard Wells, and Senior Associate Sarah Redding discuss New Zealand's major events framework and the legislation that underpins the hosting of international sporting events. They explore the purpose and operation of the Major Events Management Act 2007 (MEMA), the process for declaring an event a "major event", and the legal protections that come with that designation. Richard and Sarah also look back at some of the major sporting events New Zealand has hosted over the last two decades and unpack how these events are...

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In this episode, privacy law specialists Richard Wells and Suzy McMillan discuss practical steps organisations can take to ensure their privacy policies remain fit for purpose in the face of growing AI use.

[01:21] Richard asks how the Privacy Act 2020 framework, and in particular Information Privacy Principle (IPP) 3, applies when organisations use AI. Suzy explains that the key starting point is determining whether AI is actually being used to process personal information, as this will trigger privacy obligations pursuant to the Act.

[03:06] Richard and Suzy discuss whether different types of...

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In this episode of Level Playing Field, Sports law Partner Richard Wells, and Senior Associate Sarah Redding, discuss sponsorship agreements in New Zealand sport. They explore the key elements of sponsorship arrangements, common areas of legal risk, and practical considerations for both rights holders and sponsors when negotiating, managing and enforcing sponsorship relationships. Their discussion highlights the importance of clear drafting, aligned expectations and strong relationship management in maximising the value of sponsorship partnerships.

[00:05] Richard and Sarah introduce sponsorship agreements and outline their role in governing the commercial relationship between sports...

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In this episode of Election 2026, MinterEllisonRuddWatts Senior Associate Mark Calderwood is joined by Partner and Public law lead Briony Davies and Special Counsel Daniel Fielding. They explore how government decision‑making is shaped during an election year, focusing on the pre‑election period of restraint and the post‑election Caretaker Convention. The discussion highlights why these conventions matter for those engaging with government, and outlines the practical implications for policy development, legislative activity, and public sector decision‑making.

[00:05] Mark introduces the episode and its focus on election‑year constraints on government decision‑m...

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In our first episode of Level Playing Field, Sports law Partner Richard Wells and Senior Associate Sarah Redding discuss the issues shaping sports law in New Zealand.

[00:05] Richard and Sarah open the episode by explaining Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rights in New Zealand sport. They outline why NIL is becoming increasingly important for athletes, governing bodies and commercial partners, particularly as new forms of content continue to reshape how athletes are seen, and monetised, beyond the field of play.

[02:12] Sarah begins by explaining the starting point of the...

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In this episode, Technology Partner Tom Maasland and Litigation Senior Associate Oliver Sutton revisit the evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and legal privilege, highlighting some recent court decisions and the impact they may have in this area of law.

[00:58] Tom and Oliver open the episode with a brief recap of their earlier Tech Suite episode on AI and legal privilege, noting that emerging case law is now offering clearer judicial guidance on how legal privilege applies in the context of the use of artificial intelligence tools.

[03:00] Oliver discusses and...

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In this episode, Technology Partner Tom Maasland is joined by Special Counsel Liz Rowe, a specialist in retirement villages and aged care, to discuss the rapid rise of age tech and why it matters so much for New Zealand.

[00:54] Tom and Liz consider how New Zealand and the wider world are facing significant demographic shifts, with rapidly aging populations placing pressure on healthcare, housing and workforce systems that were not designed with this in mind, making age tech an essential part of future planning.

[02:47] They discuss how age tech...

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In this episode of Election 2026, Solicitor Michael O’Brien is joined by Partner Briony Davies and Special Counsel Daniel Fielding from our Public Law team to unpack the concept of “treating” in New Zealand electoral law and why it continues to matter in modern elections. Drawing on both the Electoral Act 1993 and the Local Electoral Act 2001, they explain how treating broadly captures the provision of food, drink, entertainment or other benefits where the intent is to influence voting behaviour, and why it remains classified as a corrupt practice with significant legal consequences.

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Technology partners Tom Maasland and Kate Cruickshank host our special three-episode series of Tech Suite, marking New Zealand Techweek26.

In this final episode, Tom Maasland is joined by, Chelsea Gordon, the Legal Lead of MinterEllison Australia's AI Advisory practice to discuss how organisations should approach AI governance to navigate the evolving risks and opportunities of AI adoption.

[01:15] Tom and Chelsea explain why strong governance is essential in a fast moving AI landscape. Drawing on historical analogies, they illustrate how good governance doesn’t slow innovation but instead enables it to...

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Technology partners Tom Maasland and Kate Cruickshank host this special three-episode series of Tech Suite, marking New Zealand Techweek26.

In this second episode, Kate Cruickshank is joined by John-Daniel (JD) Trask, co founder and CEO of software solutions company Raygun and agentic AI automation platform Autohive, to discuss how to drive tech-led productivity growth in New Zealand.

[00:59] Kate and JD discuss why New Zealand’s long standing productivity challenge isn’t necessarily about lacking access to technology, but about cultural settings, mindset, and execution. JD argues the real gap lies...

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Technology partners Tom Maasland and Kate Cruickshank host this special three-episode series of Tech Suite, marking New Zealand Techweek26.

In this second episode, Kate Cruickshank is joined by John-Daniel (JD) Trask, co founder and CEO of software solutions company Raygun and agentic AI automation platform Autohive, to discuss how to drive tech-led productivity growth in New Zealand.

[00:59] Kate and JD discuss why New Zealand’s long standing productivity challenge isn’t necessarily about lacking access to technology, but about cultural settings, mindset, and execution. JD argues the real gap lies...

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Technology partners Tom Maasland and Kate Cruickshank host this special three-episode series of Tech Suite, marking New Zealand Techweek26. They will explore how the Techweek26 pillars; foundations, growth, and governance are shaping New Zealand's tech ecosystem.

In this opening episode, Tom Maasland is joined by Susana Tomaz, Programme Lead for Day of AI Aotearoa New Zealand and Director of Futures and AI Strategy at Westlake Girls' High School, for a compelling conversation on the foundational role education plays in building New Zealand's AI capability.

[00:30] Tom and Susana reflect on...

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In this episode, Partner Gillian Service and Senior Associate Joshua Kimpton explore New Zealand’s employment law change and how it borrows from concepts in Australia. They are joined by MinterEllison Sydney Partner Gordon Williams to draw on insights from the Australian market.

[00:04] Gillian is joined by Joshua in Auckland and Gordon from Sydney to provide an Australian perspective. Joshua outlines the core features of the new legislation, including the NZD200,000 specified remuneration threshold and the statutory mechanism for future annual increases.

[02:28] Gillian highlights the limited change to good fa...

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In this episode of the Election 2026 podcast series, Solicitor Michael O’Brien is joined by Partner Briony Davies and Senior Associate Mark Calderwood to discuss the rules and risks around government advertising in an election year. Their discussion explores why government funded advertising attracts heightened scrutiny during election periods, how it differs from political advertising, where the relevant rules come from, and why drawing the line between legitimate public information and electioneering can be difficult in practice.

[01:08] Mark explains why government advertising matters in an election context, referencing the 2006 Auditor General’s re...

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In this episode, Financial Services Partner Jeremy Muir and Property Senior Associate Victoria Tatam consider how cryptocurrency can be used in New Zealand real property transactions, discussing the legal, practical and conveyancing issues that can arise when real estate meets blockchain technology.

[00:49] Jeremy and Victoria discuss the growing interest in cryptocurrency property transactions in New Zealand, explaining how digital currencies such as Bitcoin, although novel, could be used as a settlement payment where both parties agree and with the right legal structure in place.

[02:32] Jeremy talks through the origins...

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In this episode of the Election 2026 podcast series, Senior Associate Mark Calderwood is joined by Partner Megan Evans and Special Counsel Daniel Fielding to unpack how political expression on social media is regulated in an election year, and the legal risks that can arise in both the public and private sectors.

[01:04] Mark sets the scene for a likely surge in political content online as the election approaches, and why employees and employers alike should be thinking carefully about what is appropriate to post and share.

[01:47] Daniel outlines the role...

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In this episode, privacy law specialists Richard Wells and Suzy McMillan consider the legal framework governing data retention and destruction and how organisations can strike the right balance between regulatory compliance and commercial practicality in the age of big data.

[00:37] Richard and Suzy talk about the growing challenges organisations face in a data driven era, where the temptation to store information indefinitely can lead to significant privacy, security, and compliance risks.

[02:07] Richard and Suzy outline the regulatory framework that governs data retention, focusing on Information Privacy Principle (IPP) 9 of...

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In this episode, Banking Senior Associate Emma Geard, speaks with Philip Bruno, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at ACI Worldwide, about payments modernisation – what it is, why it matters for New Zealand right now, and the global lessons that can help guide successful implementation.

[01:14] Emma and Philip discuss ACI Worldwide's global role in payments modernisation, including its work providing payments infrastructure software and services to banks and central banks across more than 90 countries.

[02:04] They consider why payments modernisation is becoming increasingly important for New Zealand. Philip notes that although Ne...

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For show notes and additional resources visit minterellison.co.nz/podcasts

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In this episode, Partner Richard Wells and Senior Associate Sarah Redding from our Corporate and Commercial team discuss Heads of Agreement (HOA) and Letters of Intent (LOI), examining why parties turn to them, what can go wrong, and steps to take to ensure these preliminary documents work for you, rather than against you.

[01:09] Richard and Sarah explain how HOAs and LOIs function as preliminary documents, typically used in situations where there is commercial urgency to quickly define the parameters of a transaction, setting out the key commercial terms of a deal...

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In this episode, Technology Partner Tom Maasland and Litigation Partner Andrew Horne examine AI through an insurance risk lens, discussing what insurers are most concerned about, how those concerns are evolving, and what professional firms and businesses need to do to stay insurable as AI use becomes mainstream.

[01:07] Tom and Andy reflect on how recent insurer conversations have shifted from traditional cyber security concerns to AI taking centre stage, with insurers increasingly focused on how AI related risks translate into real world liabilities and claims exposure.

[02:51] Andy talks through...

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In this episode, Technology Partner Tom Maasland is joined by Senior Associate Oliver Sutton from our Litigation team to examine how the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is affecting the application of legal privilege.

[01:20] Oliver outlines the three most common forms of legal privilege encountered in practice: solicitor client privilege, litigation privilege, and privilege for settlement negotiations, explaining the fundamental interplay with confidentiality.

[02:58] Oliver discusses both intentional and inadvertent waiver of legal privilege, including disclosures made during litigation, information sharing with third parties, and accidental disclosures through emails...

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In the first episode of our new Election 2026 series, Litigation and Public Law Partner, Briony Davies, Special Counsel Daniel Fielding and Senior Associate Mark Calderwood, explore New Zealand’s waka jumping legislation and what it means for MPs under the MMP system. They explain how an MP’s seat can be vacated, how the courts have interpreted proportionality, and why legal challenges to party decisions are so difficult to sustain.

[01:40–03:40] Briony introduces the topic of waka jumping and asks Mark to explain what the term means in legal terms. Mark describes waka j...

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In this follow up episode, Partners Gillian Service and Megan Evans, discuss the Holidays Act reform. They explore why the reform is significant, what operational changes employers should prepare for, and how these changes aim to simplify compliance and reduce litigation. From hours-based leave accrual to mandatory pay statements and the introduction of leave compensation payments, Gillian and Megan provide practical insights and highlight key challenges businesses may face during the transition period.

[01:06] Gillian explains that unclear laws lead to non-compliance and litigation. Megan adds that previous governments have tried and...

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In our final episode for 2025, Technology Partner Tom Maasland reconnects with ChatGPT, now powered by GPT-5.2, to explore the rapid evolution of conversational AI and its potential impact on the legal landscape. Join us for a festive and engaging discussion on what the future holds for law and technology with one of our most thought-provoking guests.

[01:31] Tom dives into this interview explaining the premise of the episode to ChatGPT-5.2 and the audience. ChatGPT-5.2 introduces itself and Tom recalls the 2024 interview with GPT 4.0.

[03:02] ChatGPT-5.2 shares major upgrades since GPT 4.0: Smoother...

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In this episode, Sustainability Leader and Partner Holly Hill sits down with Matt Connolly, Air New Zealand's Sustainability Lead for Energy Transition, to explore the airline's leading initiatives including its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) trial, climate-related transition plan, next generation aircrafts, and fuel optimisation.

[01:14] Holly and Matt discuss that aviation is inherently unsustainable because it relies on burning fossil fuels, making it a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

[02:19] Holly and Matt explore Air New Zealand’s current use of SAF, noting its scarcity and high cost. He explains th...

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In this episode, Technology Partner Kate Cruickshank sits down with Buddhika Rajapakse, Associate Director at Concept Consulting, to explore the untapped potential of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology in New Zealand and discuss the key findings from the recently released multi-client report Powerful Potential: New Zealand’s Vehicle-to-Grid Opportunity.

[01:14] Kate and Buddhika consider the fundamentals of bi-directional electric vehicle (EV) charging and why EV batteries represent a unique and flexible energy storage opportunity. They explain that, beyond powering a car, an EV battery can also be used in certain circumstances to supply el...

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In this episode, Partner Tom Maasland and Senior Solicitor Abbey James from our Technology team unpack Transitional Services Agreements (TSAs), a critical yet often overlooked component of business transitions, offering both legal and practical insights to help navigate them with confidence.

[00:50] Tom and Abbey discuss the fundamentals of TSAs, explaining what they are, the services they typically cover, and how they help buyers “keep the lights on” and maintain business continuity during the transition to full operational independence after a purchase.

[02:08] Abbey and Tom explore what should be included (and...

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In this episode, Partner Kate Cruickshank, and Special Counsel Lauren Archer from our Technology team, discuss how to structure a gaming development studio for long-term success, protect its intellectual property (IP), and leverage opportunities to adapt games into films.

[01:11] Kate and Lauren discuss why business structure matters from the outset for creative ventures. Lauren explains that while there’s no single correct business structure, choosing the right one early prevents future complications. She outlines some guiding principles: simplicity, flexibility and scalability, asset protection, and tax efficiency, which should be considered to su...