Legal Services For Charities And Not-For-Profits.

Whatever stage your organisation is at, we provide the full range of legal support it needs, from establishment and governance to contracts, compliance and disputes.

Our Approach

One Discipline, Done Properly.

Charity and not-for-profit law has its own statutes, regulators and pressure points, and it is all we do. That focus means practical, commercially aware advice from people who already understand how your organisation works. Below are the core services we provide, and the sectors we know best.

What We Do

The Services Every Not-For-Profit Relies On Over Its Lifetime.

01 Establishment & Structures +
Choosing and setting up the right legal vehicle for your purpose, your funding and your plans. We draft trust deeds, constitutions and rules, and advise on charitable trusts, incorporated societies, charitable companies and social enterprises.
02 Charity Registration & Tax +
Registration with Charities Services, advice on charitable purpose and entity status, and donee status and tax exemptions with Inland Revenue. We also handle specialist matters such as Schedule 32 of the Income Tax Act 2007 and Cabinet approvals, and we work to protect your status over time.
03 Governance & Compliance +
Practical advice for boards and committees: keeping constitutions current, regulatory compliance, conflicts of interest, effective decision-making, and questions of authority, control and membership. We develop governance charters and strategic plans, and advise on the day-to-day matters that keep an organisation running well.
04 Incorporated Societies Act 2022 +
The biggest change to society law in over a century. We assist with reregistration, new compliant constitutions, the mandatory internal dispute-resolution procedures, officers' duties and interests registers. For societies that missed the reregistration deadline, we advise on the options that remain, including restoration.
05 Trustee & Officer Duties +
Advising trustees, board members and officers on their legal duties and personal exposure, alongside risk management, corporate liability, indemnities and insurance, so the people steering your organisation can make decisions with confidence.
06 Commercial, Contracts & Property +
The agreements and transactions a working not-for-profit depends on: funding and sponsorship arrangements, public-service and government contracts, supplier and service agreements, property acquisitions and disposals, and the structures behind commercial ventures and trading arms.
07 Mergers, Amalgamations & Collaboration +
Mergers, acquisitions, amalgamations, joint ventures and shared-services arrangements between not-for-profits, increasingly common as organisations pool resources to do more with less.
08 Employment +
Employment and independent contractor agreements, restructuring, volunteer issues, and the people questions that arise in mission-driven organisations.
09 Disputes & Resolution +
Internal, contractual and regulatory disputes, handled with a focus on practical settlement, and supported by media work where a matter calls for it. Most disputes we handle are resolved without recourse to litigation.
10 International & Cross-border +
Establishing international charities in New Zealand, advising overseas organisations on New Zealand's legal requirements, and working alongside lawyers in other jurisdictions on cross-border matters.

Sectors We Serve

Different Parts Of The Not-For-Profit World Face Different Legal Realities.

01

Social welfare & community organisations

Groups delivering social services and community programmes often work under government and funder contracts with strict accountability. We help with structures, funding and service agreements, compliance, governance, and the employment arrangements that come with running frontline services.

02

Health & mental health providers

Health and mental health organisations operate in a sensitive, highly regulated environment. We advise on structures, contracting with funders and health agencies, governance and compliance, and the responsibilities that fall to trustees and officers. Our experience includes advising health boards and primary health organisations on not-for-profit structures.

03

Disability & humanitarian aid

Disability-support and humanitarian organisations often combine service delivery, fundraising and, for many, work that crosses borders. We assist with structures, grant and funding agreements, compliance, and the international issues that come with operating overseas.

04

Christian ministry & faith-based organisations

Religion and the law is a long-standing focus for us. We advise churches, Christian charities and other faith-based bodies on structure and incorporation, constitutions and governance, charitable status, property, the employment of ministry staff, and the particular questions that arise where faith and the law meet.

05

Sporting, cultural & performing-arts groups

Sports bodies, clubs, cultural associations and performing-arts groups are frequently incorporated societies, making the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 especially relevant. We help with reregistration and constitutions, governance and member disputes, funding and sponsorship, and event, venue and commercial arrangements.

06

Education

We act for schools, early childhood services and other educational institutions on structure, governance, compliance, and the contracts and employment matters specific to the sector.

07

Immigrant & refugee organisations

We advise organisations supporting immigrant and refugee communities on establishment, governance, compliance and funding, helping them build durable structures for the work they do.

08

Church law

Advising churches and Christian organisations on constitutional matters, assisting in church leadership disputes, advising on matters of discipline and the roles of leaders and pastors, assisting churches with liability issues, and advising on growth and expansion.

Don't see your sector?

If your organisation works for the public good, the chances are we can help. Tell us what you do.

Talk to us

Let's Talk About Your Organisation.

Whether you're establishing something new, navigating a compliance question, or facing a dispute, we'd be glad to help.