Services.

Areas of Practice

  • Tax
  • Trusts
  • Asset & Estate Planning

Qualifications, Professional Memberships & Associations

  • University of Canterbury, LLB, 1995
  • Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court, 1995
  • Member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (TEP)
  • New Zealand Law Society
  • New Zealand Law Society Taxaxtion Committee - Member
  • New Zealand Law Society (Canterbury Westland Branch) Trust Committee - Member/Past Convenor
  • New Zealand Law Society (Canterbury Westland Branch) Standards Committee - Member (2018 to date)
  • University of Canterbury - Guest Lecturer 
  • Ara Foundation - Chair (2019 to 2021)/Trustee (2014 to 2021)
  • Sumner Running Club - Secretary (2017 to 2020)

Tax

  • Advising on a variety of income tax issues arising from various commercial and property transactions.
  • GST issues arising from property and commercial transactions.
  • Tax effective structuring of business transactions and private and commercial enterprises.
  • Advising on various types of commercial structures and entities (e.g. partnerships, companies, look through companies, trusts, limited partnerships and joint ventures).
  • Advising on tax residency issues for individuals entering or leaving New Zealand.
  • Advising non-residents of tax implications of overseas investment in New Zealand as well as New Zealanders looking to invest abroad.
  • Overseas pension schemes.
  • Tax advice with respect to migration of New Zealand resident settlors and trustees to foreign jurisdictions.
  • Tax issues relating to distributions of funds from New Zealand complying, foreign and non-complying trusts.
  • Tax issues relating to the resettlement or variation of a trust.
  • Submissions to Policy Advice Division of Inland Revenue in respect of proposed changes to tax legislation.
  • Staff/client education sessions/seminars on topical tax issues and recent legislation changes with particular emphasis on GST and income tax issues relating to property transactions.

Trust, Asset & Estate Planning

  • The establishment and ongoing administration of family trusts, trading and charitable trusts in New Zealand.
  • Formulating structures for estate planning, asset protection, business operation and succession purposes.
  • Succession planning for family businesses/small to medium sized businesses and rural land owners.
  • Reviewing existing trusts/asset protection structures and trust deeds.
  • Advising on complex trust issues.
  • Advising trustees in respect of trustees duties and obligations in the management and administration of trusts.
  • Trust disputes.
  • Advising on issues relating to the variation and/or resettlement of trusts.
  • Transfer of assets to a trust including ongoing considerations relating to the gifting of assets post gift duty repeal.
  • Client education seminars on variety of trust, asset planning and trust administration issues.
  • Advising on the use of New Zealand trustee services for foreign nationals in the context of international tax planning opportunities.
  • Taxation and general trust advice for expats and foreign nationals returning to or immigrating to New Zealand with respect to establishing New Zealand based trusts or continued use of foreign based trusts to hold investments.
  • Staff and client education sessions/seminars in topical trust issues.