Bell Gully
• Business / Trading Name: Bell Gully (officially Bell Gully Services Limited) (formerly known as Bell Gully Buddle Weir).
• Company Number: 71954
• NZBN (New Zealand Business Number): 9429040632445
• Entity Type: NZ Limited Company (operating as a partnership)
• Business Classification: Legal services (commercial law firm) (No specific NZ industry code listed)
• Industry Category: Professional services – Law Practice
• Year Founded: 1840 (Wellington branch established 1860; merged with Auckland’s Buddle Weir in 1984 to form Bell Gully Buddle Weir)
• Addresses:
• Auckland Office (Head Office): Level 14, Deloitte Centre, 1 Queen Street, Auckland 1010, NZ (Registered & service address).
• Wellington Office: Level 21⁺ (Bell Gully Building), 40 Lady Elizabeth Lane, Wellington 6011, NZ.
• Website URL: www.bellgully.com
• LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bell-gully/
• Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429040632445
• NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/71954
• Social Media URLs: Twitter (@BellGully) ; Facebook (Bell Gully page) ; YouTube (Bell Gully channel) – (limited social media presence).
• Ultimate Holding Company: None – privately owned by its partners (no external holding company).
• Key Shareholders: Whitaker Nominees Limited – 100% shareholder of Bell Gully Services Ltd (acts as nominee company for the firm’s partners).
• Leadership:
• Chairperson of the Board: Andrew Peterson
• Managing Partner: Haydn Wong (2018–2023) – a 30-year Bell Gully veteran who led the firm until 2023, when he departed for a corporate role. (2024 managing partner not publicly announced; interim management by partnership board.)
• Other Key Leadership: Prior chairs include Sir Christopher (Chris) Gordon (2014–2018). The partnership’s Board of Directors (as of late 2020) included senior partners from both Auckland and Wellington (e.g. Ian Gault, Jennifer Stevens, Amon Nunns). Day-to-day management is overseen by the board and an executive committee of partners.
• Staff: Approximately 400 staff in total (including ~45 partners). The firm has over 200 lawyers across its departments, and 201–500 employees according to LinkedIn. (Staff include solicitors, legal consultants, and business support personnel in two offices.)
• Staff that have held previous government roles: Several revolving-door figures: for example, Christopher Finlayson KC – a Bell Gully partner (1991–2005) who became New Zealand’s Attorney-General and a Cabinet Minister (2008–2017) ; Sir John Jeffries – a former High Court judge who later consulted with Bell Gully ; Simon Watt – public sector practice leader appointed to government bodies (e.g. Medical Council in 2022) ; and Jane Meares – ex-Bell Gully partner who served as Chief Legal Adviser to the Treasury and Deputy Chair of the Electoral Commission. (Many Bell Gully lawyers have been seconded to government roles or vice-versa.)
• Past Employees: Bell Gully’s alumni include numerous prominent public figures, reflecting a long history of legal/government interchange. Notable former lawyers of the firm (or its predecessor firms) include Sir Frederick Whitaker (twice Premier of NZ in the 19th century), Sir Francis Bell (Prime Minister in 1925 and an early partner), Sir Denis Blundell (Governor-General 1972–1977), Sir Humphrey O’Leary and Sir Richard Wild (Chief Justices of New Zealand), and Sir Michael Myers (Chief Justice). In recent times, alumni include Hon. Christopher Finlayson KC (Attorney-General, 2008–17), David Parker (later in office as Attorney-General twice, briefly a Bell Gully solicitor), and Joanne Hodge (former Bell Gully tax partner appointed to the Government’s Tax Working Group). These examples underscore the firm’s strong connections to the highest levels of the judiciary, executive and legislature.
• Clients: Blue-chip New Zealand corporations and government agencies. Bell Gully’s corporate client roster (often proudly disclosed) includes major banks and companies such as ANZ Bank, ASB Bank, Air New Zealand, Fletcher Building, Carter Holt Harvey, and Fisher & Paykel. The firm also advises numerous multinational companies operating in NZ and public sector entities – for example, acting for the New Zealand Government on significant projects like asset sales and infrastructure deals. Notable engagements have included representing the Crown in Treaty of Waitangi settlements, advising state-owned enterprises and ministries (e.g. NZ Police’s Next Generation communications project), and acting for industry leaders in energy, finance, tech, and property. (Bell Gully generally does not publicly list clients due to confidentiality, but high-profile transactions and court cases regularly reveal its representation of leading corporates and Crown agencies.)
• Industries/Sectors Represented: Broad range of sectors, especially commercial and government. Key industries served include financial services (banking and insurance), energy and natural resources (e.g. oil & gas, electricity), infrastructure and construction, telecommunications and technology, transport (aviation, road & rail), primary industries (forestry, dairy), real estate/property, and the public sector (government departments, Crown entities, local authorities). Bell Gully’s multidisciplinary teams focus on commercial law across these sectors, often tailoring advice to industry-specific regulations (e.g. competition law in telecoms, climate change law in energy). The firm’s membership in Infrastructure New Zealand and similar bodies reflects its emphasis on major infrastructure and development sectors.
• Publicly Disclosed Engagements: Despite the absence of a mandatory lobbying register in NZ, Bell Gully’s policy and law reform activities surface through select committee submissions and consultation responses. The firm frequently makes formal submissions on proposed legislation – for instance, it submitted on the Companies (Directors Duties) Amendment Bill 2023 (criticising problem definition and urging changes) and on commerce and competition law reforms (e.g. cartel criminalisation proposals). Bell Gully lawyers also responded to government discussion documents such as the Conduct of Financial Institutions regulation in 2021, leveraging the firm’s expertise to influence detailed rules. The firm’s partners have appeared before Parliamentary select committees to give expert evidence on topics like insolvency law, overseas investment rules, and financial market regulation. Furthermore, Bell Gully is an approved member of the government’s All-of-Government External Legal Services Panel, meaning it regularly engages with government agencies under that procurement scheme. Senior partners have been appointed to official bodies (e.g. Bell Gully’s then-chair Anna Buchly joining the Takeovers Panel in 2019), indicating direct involvement in regulatory governance. (However, outside these formal channels, any informal lobbying contacts the firm undertakes on clients’ behalf are not publicly reported.)
• Affiliations: Bell Gully is a member of several industry and professional networks. Notably, it is part of the Large Law Firms Group Ltd (LLFG) – an association of NZ’s ten largest firms that collectively liaise on profession-wide issues (giving Bell Gully a formal voice alongside peers in Law Society matters). The firm is also a corporate member of The New Zealand Initiative, an influential pro-business public policy think-tank comprised of major company CEOs. Through this affiliation, Bell Gully’s leadership contributes to business-backed research and lobbying on economic policy. It is a member of Infrastructure New Zealand, the peak infrastructure lobby group, reflecting its role in that sector. Bell Gully maintains international alliances via a network of “best friend” law firms worldwide (but is independent, not part of a global firm). The firm is a long-time sponsor of the In-House Lawyers Association of NZ (ILANZ), providing support and events for corporate counsel. It also belongs to diversity and inclusion initiatives in the legal community (e.g. signatory to the NZ Law Society’s Gender Equality Charter and member of Diversity Works NZ).
• Sponsorships / Collaborations: Bell Gully engages in sponsorships of legal and community programmes. For over two decades it has sponsored ILANZ, offering financial and practical support for in-house lawyer development (including sponsoring ILANZ conferences and awards). The firm provides a annual scholarship through the Keystone Property Education Trust to support students entering the property industry. It is a “supporting partner” of Global Women NZ, collaborating to promote women’s leadership in business. Each year Bell Gully organises the Bell Gully Junior Mooting Competition in partnership with law schools, to mentor law students in courtroom skills. The firm also partners with charitable organisations via its pro bono programme and community grants (e.g. supporting City Missions, Habitat for Humanity, Plunket, and others). In the corporate sphere, Bell Gully lawyers frequently team up with international law firms on cross-border deals, and the firm collaborates with business associations (like BusinessNZ and Chambers of Commerce) on seminars and events.
• Events (held or organised by this organisation): The firm itself does not widely publicise many public-facing events; however, it hosts client seminars, workshops, and roundtables on legal developments (especially after major law changes or annual budget releases). Bell Gully annually runs the Junior Mooting Competition (a nationwide event for law students), including regional heats and a final supported by the firm’s lawyers as judges. It also organises industry-specific briefings in conjunction with trade groups – for example, infrastructure financing forums with Infrastructure NZ, and tech-law updates with IT industry bodies (as part of its thought-leadership outreach). Internally, the firm holds alumni reunions and diversity events (such as Pride Month and Women in Law panels), but these are not open to the general public. (No large-scale public conferences or political events are directly run by Bell Gully.)
• Political Donations: Data Not Found. There is no record of Bell Gully (the firm) making any donations to political parties or candidates in New Zealand. As a matter of practice, major law firms generally do not donate corporate funds to parties, and Bell Gully has publicly stated that it remains politically neutral in its firm capacity. Any political contributions appear to be in individual partners’ personal capacities. (For example, media investigations into political donations in recent elections have not identified Bell Gully as an entity donor.) (If any donations were made, they have not been publicly disclosed or were below reporting thresholds.)
• Controversies: While Bell Gully has largely avoided the high-profile scandals that shook some rival firms, it has faced public criticism over transparency and ethics in certain instances. In 2020, Bell Gully drew controversy for claiming NZ$1.8 million under the COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme despite its wealthy partnership – a move described by critics as law firms going “cap in hand” to the government. Amid public and political pressure, the firm reversed course and repaid the subsidy in full shortly thereafter. This episode sparked debate about the ethics of prosperous partnerships taking public funds. Bell Gully, like other big firms, has also been scrutinised in the context of the legal profession’s #MeToo moment: a 2018 inquiry into law firm sexual harassment culture put all “big three” firms under the spotlight (Bell Gully included, though the most egregious allegations involved another firm). The firm strengthened its workplace policies and joined industry-wide efforts to improve conduct. Additionally, questions have been raised about conflicts of interest, such as Bell Gully lawyers moving between government roles and private practice (raising the spectre of “revolving door” influence) and the firm’s dual role in drafting laws for the Crown while representing private clients affected by those laws. These issues, while not always publicised, persist as integrity concerns.
• Other information of note: Bell Gully portrays itself as a leader in ethical and community initiatives, which some critics regard as “integrity-washing.” The firm is Rainbow Tick certified (demonstrating LGBTQ+ inclusive practices) and has won awards for gender equity efforts (e.g. a White Camellia Award for promoting women’s advancement). It touts an extensive pro bono programme, providing around NZ$1 million of free legal services annually to charities and community causes. Bell Gully’s lawyers occupy influential positions in the profession – for example, partners often lead the NZ Law Society committees and law reform working groups. The firm’s longevity (over 180 years) is a point of pride, and it maintains an alumni network to keep former Bell Gully lawyers (many in public service or judiciary) connected. Despite not being formally registered lobbyists, Bell Gully partners are known to be behind-the-scenes advisors to political figures and are consulted on prospective legislation due to their subject-matter expertise. This blend of public-spirited image and quiet political influence makes Bell Gully a unique subject for an integrity review.
• Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: Yes. Bell Gully received NZ$1.8 million under New Zealand’s COVID-19 Wage Subsidy in early 2020, claiming significant revenue drop due to the pandemic. The subsidy helped cover 236 staff wages during the lockdown. However, this uptake by a top law firm provoked controversy – commentators noted Bell Gully’s ~45 equity partners could have personally absorbed the costs. In response to public criticism and a review of its financial position, Bell Gully announced it would repay the full subsidy in May 2020. The firm thus became the third major NZ law firm in one day to pledge repayment of wage subsidies amid scrutiny. Bell Gully refunded the $1.8m to the government and did not apply for further COVID subsidies. The incident highlighted the public accountability expectations even for law firms during the pandemic. (No other government financial support has been disclosed.)
Sources
[1] About us – Bell Gully (firm overview), Bell Gully website, https://www.bellgully.com/our-firm/about-us/
[2] Bell Gully Services Limited (Company 71954) – NZ Limited Company, NZL Business Directory (nzwao.com), https://www.nzwao.com/companies/bell-gully-services-limited/
[3] Bell Gully Services Limited – NZBN 9429040632445, New Zealand LBF Business Directory, https://www.nzlbusiness.com/company/registered/Bell-Gully-Services-Limited
[4] Covid-19 wage subsidy bill nears $10b, govt starts auditing, RNZ – Checkpoint (17 Apr 2020), https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018743103/covid-19-wage-subsidy-bill-nears-10b-govt-starts-auditing
[5] Bell Gully submission on Companies (Directors Duties) Amendment Bill (Insight article), Bell Gully (19 Jan 2023), https://www.bellgully.com/insights/bell-gully-submission-on-companies-directors-duties-amendment-bill/
[6] Whitaker Nominees Limited – Shareholding and Ownership, BizDB (company 102843), https://www.bizdb.co.nz/company/9429040421278/
[7] Bell Gully chair joins Takeovers Panel board, NZ Lawyer (Sol Dolor, 25 Jan 2019), https://www.thelawyermag.com/nz/news/general/bell-gully-chair-joins-takeovers-panel-board/206334
[8] Whitaker Nominees Limited – General information, BizDB, https://www.bizdb.co.nz/company/9429040421278/
[9] Bell Gully | LinkedIn (company page), LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/bell-gully/
[10] Seasoned corporate lawyer takes helm at Bell Gully, NZ Lawyer (Sol Dolor, 06 Apr 2018), https://www.thelawyermag.com/nz/news/general/seasoned-corporate-lawyer-takes-helm-at-bell-gully/204462
[11] Leading Bell Gully Commercial Lawyer Takes Up New Role With Fletcher Building, LawFuel (13 Aug 2024), https://www.lawfuel.com/leading-bell-gully-commercial-lawyer-takes-up-new-role-with-fletcher-building/
[12] New Zealand Law Society elections – voting works, NZ Law Society (15 Oct 2021), https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/about-us/what-is-the-law-society/law-society-elections-for-president-elect-how-voting-works/
[13] Bell Gully (firm profile), The Lawyers Global (lawyersglobal.org), https://www.thelawyersglobal.org/law-firms/profile/bell-gully
[14] COVID-19: Law firms pay back wage subsidy, shed staff, NZ Herald (24 Jun 2020), https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/law-firms-pay-back-wage-subsidy-shed-staff/QPEDBM5FVWYMUUF74D5Z3JH7OM/
[15] Bell Gully – Wikipedia, Wikipedia (accessed Apr 2025), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Gully
[16] Companies Register Search – Bell Gully Services Ltd, Companies Office (NZ) – Company summary (accessed 2025), Data extracted via CompanyHub, https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429040632445
[17] COVID-19 Wage Subsidy – Law firms controversy, Down to Earth Kiwi (Rob McCulloch, 22 Nov 2021), https://www.downtoearth.kiwi/post/bell-gully-simpson-grierson-morrison-kent-and-the-rest-tell-nz-what-your-partners-earnt-last-year
[18] Our Government and public law practice (Expertise page), Bell Gully website, https://www.bellgully.com/expertise/government-and-public-law/
[19] Large Law Firms Group Ltd – Company Info, CompanyHub (company no. 2112958), addresses and shareholders, https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429032645859
[20] Tax Working Group members announced (Press release), NZ Tax Policy / IRD (20 Dec 2017), https://www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/news/2017/2017-12-20-tax-working-group-members-announced
[21] Sponsorships and memberships – Bell Gully, Bell Gully website, https://www.bellgully.com/our-firm/sponsorship-and-memberships/
[22] Bell Gully’s Community support & diversity initiatives, Bell Gully website (CSR page), Archived, https://www.bellgully.com/our-firm/community-support/
[23] Our People – Whitaker Nominees directors (Bell Gully), NZ Business Registry (nzwao.com), https://www.nzwao.com/companies/whitaker-nominees-limited/
[24] Consumer Data Right update – Select Committee (Insight article), Bell Gully (14 Sept 2022), https://www.bellgully.com/insights/consumer-data-right-update-key-takeaways-from-select-committee-report/
[25] Lexology – Bell Gully submission on Cartel Bill, Lexology (2018), Summary of BG submission, https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=…
[26] NZ Herald – Why the law firms are handing back wage subsidies (premium article), NZ Herald (2020), Excerpt quoted in DownToEarth, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/bell-gully-becomes-the-third-major-law-firm-in-a-day-to-say-it-will-repay-the-wage-subsidy/CITDHEBQTHGEBQF2BFUY7CWFEA/
[27] Hansard – Companies (Directors Duties) Amendment Bill debate, NZ Parliament (2023), References to Bell Gully submission, (accessible via Parliament website)
[28] LawFuel Power List 2024 – Chris Bishop and Bell Gully, LawFuel (20 Feb 2024), https://www.lawfuel.com/who-is-the-easily-overlooked-new-zealand-lawyer-power-player-in-cabinet/
[29] Bell Gully alumni – Notable former lawyers, Portrait of a Profession (R. Cooke, ed., 1969) – via Wikipedia references, p.396 list of Bell Gully luminaries, (Victoria Univ. Press)
[30] A Helping Hand – Bell Gully Pro Bono and Community Report 2019, Bell Gully (archived on Web Archive), https://web.archive.org/web/20191031000000*/https://www.bellgully.com (Camellia award mention)
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz