The Court of Appeal has confirmed that Part 2 of the RMA is once again relevant to resource consent applications. On 21 August 2018 the Court of Appeal released its decision of RJ Davidson Family Trust v Marlborough District Council [2018] NZCA 316, which clarifies how Part 2 of the RMA should be considered in …
Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 Asbestos was used in building products up until the 1990s due to its ability to resist heat, electricity and chemical corrosion. However, in New Zealand an estimated 170 people die of asbestos-related diseases each year making it the largest single cause of work related deaths. In response, …
Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 Read More »
Employment Agreements – A Time For Review Recent developments in employment law give rise to a need to review and update employment agreements to ensure they are up to date. 90 day trial period clauses You may be aware that the new Labour-led coalition government has proposed that 90 day trial periods will be limited …
Changes Employment Law 2018 The new Labour-led coalition Government has introduced a new bill to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 and implement the employment law reforms that were promised prior to last year’s general election. The Employment Relations Amendment Bill 2018 (“Bill”) states that the changes are “intended to introduce greater fairness in the …
Christie Goodspeed and Sam Tabak have joined the partnership at Holland Beckett Law. Holland Beckett Law partner Vanessa Hamm says the firm has been expanding over recent years with an emphasis on growing its specialist teams. “Christie and Sam are both great examples of the firm attracting talented, experienced specialist lawyers who can build a …
New Year, New Legislation The holiday period often provides business owners and managers the opportunity to reflect on their successes and upcoming challenges in the year ahead. The beginning of the year is also a great time to make sure that your business has the tools and foundation to continue to thrive. There were some …
Trusts are a firmly established mechanism for protecting and managing assets in New Zealand. The upcoming changes in trust law are long overdue. However, such changes are also sure to call into question the country’s fixation with family trusts. The Trusts Bill (“the Bill”) was introduced on 1 August 2017, following multiple reviews conducted by …
Alarm Bells are Ringing for Sleeping Directors It has long been commonplace in New Zealand for owners of small businesses to have their husbands, wives or de facto partners registered as directors. Often this appointment is a mere gesture, with the spouse/partner director having little to no involvement in the business. However, these so-called “sleeping …
Breaking news – professional dress standards at Holland Beckett Law suspended for a “short time” to support Waipuna Hospice on the shortest day of the year.
Many small companies – especially family-owned or “owner/operator” businesses – have the same directors and shareholders. In these companies, it is common practice for shareholders to have a “shareholder current account”, also referred to as “drawings”. The current account is a debt that can be claimed by the Company against the shareholders. While most shareholders …
Risks of Small Companies Operating a Current Account Read More »
