From 1 July 2018 lawyers in New Zealand will fall under the requirements of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (AML/CFT). The purpose of this law reflects New Zealand’s commitment to the international initiative to counter the impact that criminal activity has on people and economies within the global community.

A recent judgment of the New Zealand Court of Appeal has provided salutary lessons on the care that needs to be taken when you are writing conditions for an agreement for sale and purchase as well as the care that a purchaser must give to fulfilling its obligations under those conditions. MDS Property Lawyer, Dan Crossen reviews this recent judgment and the need for good professional advice when conditions are being put into the agreement.

The redevelopment of the central city of Christchurch is an opportunity unlikely to be seen again in several lifetimes. While the redevelopment project promises many exciting investment opportunities it also creates much uncertainty for affected land owners. In this article, the {mds} law team reviews the opportunities and what landowners and developers need to do now that the plan has been unveiled.

The Consumer Law Reform Bill (Bill), currently with the Commerce Select Committee, is set to modernise consumer law in New Zealand and align it with Australian consumer law. In this article MDS Law Associate, Nichola Hiatt reviews the changes being proposed.