FranksOgilvie
1. Business / Trading Name: FranksOgilvie (styled without a space) is the trading name of Commercial & Public Law Limited. The firm was initially referred to as “Franks & Ogilvie” when established in 2009.
2. Company Number: 2221994. Commercial & Public Law Limited (trading as FranksOgilvie) is registered on the New Zealand Companies Register under this company number.
3. NZBN: 9429032338621. This New Zealand Business Number is assigned to Commercial & Public Law Limited (FranksOgilvie) in official records.
4. Entity Type: New Zealand Limited Company. The firm is incorporated as a standard limited liability company in New Zealand.
5. Business Classification: M693130 – Legal service. This classification denotes a legal services business under the ANZSIC system.
6. Industry Category: Law Practice (Public & Commercial Law). FranksOgilvie operates in the legal industry, specifically focusing on public and commercial law matters.
7. Year Founded: 2009. The company was incorporated on 19 March 2009. Founding principals Stephen Franks and Rob Ogilvie launched the firm in July 2009 as a specialist public law practice.
8. Addresses: The firm’s physical office is located at Level 5, Wakefield House, 90 The Terrace, Wellington 6011. It also maintains a postal address at PO Box 10388, The Terrace, Wellington 6143. (Both the registered office and address for service are recorded as Level 5, 90 The Terrace in Wellington.)
9. Website URL:
https://www.franksogilvie.co.nz
– the official website of FranksOgilvie.
10. LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/franks-ogilvie – the firm’s LinkedIn page, which describes FranksOgilvie as a Wellington-based specialist public and commercial law firm.
11. Company Hub NZ URL: FranksOgilvie is listed on Company Hub NZ under its legal name Commercial & Public Law Limited. (Company Hub NZ is a business directory; the profile shows the NZBN, business classification, and trading name.)
12. NZ Companies Office URL: The company’s entry can be found on the New Zealand Companies Office register by searching for Commercial & Public Law Limited (Company No. 2221994). (The Companies Office website confirms the incorporation details and status as “Registered” for this entity.)
13. Social Media URLs: FranksOgilvie has a presence on Twitter (X) with the handle @FranksOgilvie, which reiterates the firm’s trading name and contact information. The firm’s principals also maintain visibility via media appearances and commentary (see Affiliations), but no official Facebook or other social media pages for the firm were found – Data Not Found.
14. Ultimate Holding Company: None. Commercial & Public Law Limited is not part of a wider corporate group. The Companies Office records show no ultimate holding company (indicating it is independently owned).
15. Key Shareholders: The firm is privately held by its principals. Founders Stephen Franks and Rob Ogilvie were the original shareholders, and in 2021 Brigitte Morten joined them in ownership of the company. Morten’s appointment as a Director and Principal in July 2021 reflected her transition into the ownership team alongside Franks and Ogilvie. No other significant shareholders are disclosed (each of the three Directors is understood to hold a share of the 100 shares issued).
16. Leadership: The firm is led by its Directors who also serve as Principals. Stephen Leslie Franks(Director) and Robert (“Rob”) Charles Ogilvie (Director) are the founding principals. Brigitte Elizabeth Morten joined the leadership, becoming a Director on 1 July 2021. These three constitute the top leadership, steering the firm’s strategy and engagements.
17. Staff: FranksOgilvie is a boutique practice with a small team (approximately 2–10 employees in total). In addition to the three Directors, current staff include at least two Senior Solicitors – Alexandra (“Aly”) Millerand Max Barber – who joined in 2023–2024. The firm also employs a Consultant (Tim Blake), who came on board in 2022, a graduate Law Clerk (Adam Young) hired in 2023, and a long-serving Practice Manager (Angela Banks) who has been with the firm since 2011. This lean team allows the firm to specialize in its niche while drawing on external experts as needed (e.g. engaging barristers for litigation).
18. Staff that have held previous government roles: Several of FranksOgilvie’s key personnel have government and political experience. Stephen Franks served as a Member of Parliament (ACT Party list MP) for six years (1999–2005). Brigitte Morten worked for over a decade in politics, including roles as a Senior Ministerial Advisor in New Zealand’s National-led government and as Chief of Staff to an Australian Senator. She also advised the Embassy of Israel in Australia on political and media matters. These stints in government give the firm insider insight. (Rob Ogilvie’s background is primarily corporate, as a Telecom NZ in-house counsel, with no noted government roles.)
19. Past Employees: Data Found (limited). One notable former employee is Aimee Dartnall, who was FranksOgilvie’s Senior Solicitor heading the litigation practice. Dartnall was promoted in mid-2021 but later departed the firm (by 2023 she is listed as a legal associate at another firm). Another past staff member is Bridget (“Bridie”) Toy-Cronin, who had a short stint early in the firm’s life (not widely publicized). Aside from Dartnall, no comprehensive public list of alumni exists – reflecting the firm’s small size and relatively low turnover. Data Not Found for other past employees.
20. Clients: FranksOgilvie’s clientele includes a range of advocacy groups, corporate entities, and individuals involved in public affairs (often those challenging or seeking to shape government policy). Known major clients include: Council of Licensed Firearm Owners (COLFO) – the firm represented COLFO in opposing new gun laws and led its “Fair and Reasonable” campaign after the 2019 Christchurch terror attack; Inflection Point NZ – an activist group against gender “ideology”, on whose behalf FranksOgilvie sent letters warning medical providers about transgender treatments; Hobson’s Pledge – a lobby group opposing race-based affirmative action, which the firm has represented in parliamentary submissions and legal opinions ; and the Free Speech Coalition/Free Speech Union, which Stephen Franks has supported as legal counsel in cases defending free expression (e.g. commenting on the Israel Folau religious expression case). Additionally, Stephen Franks acted as a spokesperson-lawyer for the Water Users’ Group in challenges to the Three Waters policy. Other clients include interest groups and businesses needing expertise in regulatory or legislative matters (for instance, the firm advised the Northern Action Group in local government reorganization litigation). (Note: Due to client confidentiality, the firm does not publish a client list; these examples are drawn from matters that became public.)
21. Industries/Sectors Represented: The firm’s work cuts across various sectors, all linked by the thread of government policy or regulation. It has been active in the firearms industry/community (advocating for licensed gun owners), the health sector (advising on medical regulatory issues such as transgender healthcare policy), and civil liberties/human rights arenas (free speech and rights in media and education contexts). FranksOgilvie has engaged in local government and infrastructure matters (supporting community groups on council restructuring and water infrastructure governance), as well as in legal reform areas like electoral law and constitutional issues (e.g. submissions on electoral legislation, Treaty of Waitangi principles). In summary, the firm does not limit itself to one commercial industry; its “industry” is broadly the public sector – advising clients in any sector where law, policy and politics intersect (from firearms to broadcasting to resource management).
22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: FranksOgilvie’s lobbying and advocacy often become visible through official processes. For example, the firm’s lawyers have appeared before Parliamentary select committees – notably in 2024, Senior Solicitor Alexandra Miller and Stephen Franks spoke to the Governance and Administration Committee on behalf of Hobson’s Pledge (and a petitioner) regarding a statutory amendment. The firm also regularly files formal submissions on law changes and regulations: its name appears (under Commercial & Public Law Ltd) in consultation documents such as the Commerce Commission’s 2022 Input Methodologies amendments for gas pipeline regulation and MBIE’s 2023 draft Incorporated Societies Regulations. In the courts, FranksOgilvie has led public-interest litigation – for instance, acting as solicitors for COLFO’s judicial review challenging aspects of the firearm buyback scheme. Additionally, the firm has engaged in quasi-lobbying via open letters or legal threats published in the media, such as the letter sent to health providers about gender-affirming care (a public engagement that prompted responses from professional bodies and authorities). Each of these engagements is a matter of public record, illustrating how the firm’s influence efforts sometimes enter the spotlight.
23. Affiliations: The principals of FranksOgilvie are well-connected in New Zealand’s political and advocacy landscape. Stephen Franks is a former elected official (ex-ACT Party MP and one-time National Party candidate) with longstanding ties in free-market and conservative circles. He has been directly involved with the Free Speech Coalition/Free Speech Union (as a member and lawyer) and has partnered with the Taxpayers’ Union on campaigns (e.g. the Three Waters court challenge and replacement bill). Brigitte Morten is a prominent political commentator – she is regularly featured on RNZ and Newshub and writes a weekly column for the National Business Review. Her media role aligns her with influential commentators and think-tanks (she often appears alongside figures from firms like Capital Relations or the New Zealand Initiative in discussions). Both Franks and Morten serve as legal advisors to Hobson’s Pledge, indicating affiliation with that network. There are also connections to corporate and professional bodies: Franks previously sat on the Securities Commission and Institute of Directors council, and Rob Ogilvie’s telecom background links him to the corporate communications sector. These affiliations suggest the firm operates within a sphere of conservative, pro-business, and civil libertarian advocacy groups, giving it access to shared resources and platforms (though the firm itself remains independent and not formally part of any larger organisation).
24. Sponsorships / Collaborations: Data Not Found for conventional sponsorships (the firm does not publicly sponsor events or organisations in the manner a corporate might). However, FranksOgilvie has engaged in collaborative projects with advocacy groups. A prime example is its collaboration with the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in 2023: FranksOgilvie was commissioned to help develop the Local Water Infrastructure Bill, an alternative policy proposal to replace the Government’s Three Waters reforms. In this project, the firm worked alongside the Taxpayers’ Union’s Technical Advisory Group (including external experts) to draft legislation. Such collaboration, while not sponsorship in a financial sense, indicates a working alliance to achieve a political outcome. Apart from this, no public information suggests the firm directly sponsors any events, charities, or initiatives.
25. Events (held or organised by this organisation): Data Not Found. There is no public record of FranksOgilvie hosting conferences, workshops, or public events. The firm’s influence is exercised through legal advocacy and media commentary rather than through organising events or forums. (Notably, when FranksOgilvie enters the public eye, it is usually due to its involvement in someone else’s event or issue – for example, their actions prompting protests or public meetings, rather than the firm itself convening those gatherings.)
26. Political Donations: Data Not Found. A search of New Zealand Electoral Commission disclosures and media reports yields no evidence of any political donations made by FranksOgilvie (Commercial & Public Law Ltd) as an entity. The firm’s name does not appear in published donation lists for major parties. If the principals have made personal donations, those have not been publicized in connection to the firm. (Media analyses of political funding have highlighted contributions from businesses and wealthy individuals to parties like National and ACT, but Franks or Ogilvie are not noted among significant donors.) In short, no disclosed political donations are linked to the organisation.
27. Controversies: FranksOgilvie has been involved in several controversies due to the nature of its advocacy. The most prominent arose in February 2025, when the firm sent a form letter to dozens of healthcare providers involved in gender-affirming care, warning of potential legal action; this was widely condemned by the medical community as a “blatant attempt to intimidate” doctors. The incident sparked public outcry and led to formal complaints against the firm to both the Police and the NZ Law Society (alleging the letter was unprofessional and threatening). Earlier, in 2021–2022, FranksOgilvie drew criticism for representing LGBTQ+-opposed groups: it provided legal support to the lesbian group LAVA in a dispute with the Wellington Pride Festival, and Stephen Franks’ past statements opposing same-sex marriage – including invoking a “slippery slope” argument about people marrying animals – resurfaced and were decried as offensive. The firm’s work with Hobson’s Pledge, which campaigns against certain Māori rights frameworks, has also been contentious; by aligning with this group, Franks and Morten have been accused of abetting anti-Treaty sentiments. In summary, the firm is often at the center of polarising issues, attracting strong criticism from progressive circles for its tactics and clients. These controversies underscore the debate over whether FranksOgilvie’s actions constitute legitimate legal advocacy or unethical lobbying by stealth.
28. Other Information of Note: FranksOgilvie is notable for its hybrid role as both law firm and lobbying outfit. It explicitly markets its team’s insider experience in politics and government – highlighting that its lawyers have been “parliamentarian, government advisors, a regulator, a law drafter…” and thus “know who makes the decisions, why”. The firm’s strategy emphasizes leveraging this political know-how: Stephen Franks has remarked that their advice can achieve results “more constructive, speedy and permanent than traditional legal advice” because it accounts for public advocacy realities, rather than just legal theory. FranksOgilvie’s principals have at times publicly defended their involvement in controversial matters by invoking legal ethics – for example, stating that as lawyers they have a duty to accept any client within their competence (“cab rank rule”) and should not withdraw due to public pressure. Another point of note is that as a law firm, FranksOgilvie is not subject to New Zealand’s lobbying disclosure regime (no mandatory register exists for lobbyists, and even voluntary registers exclude those giving legal services). This has led observers to point out that the firm operates in a transparency gray-zone – able to influence policy behind closed doors without the level of scrutiny applied to professional lobbyists. In essence, FranksOgilvie exemplifies how a savvy legal practice can function as a de facto lobbying agency while maintaining the appearance (and privileges) of a law firm.
29. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: Data Not Found. There is no public record indicating that Commercial & Public Law Limited (FranksOgilvie) received the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy in 2020 or 2021. The Ministry of Social Development’s public database of wage subsidy recipients does not list this firm, which likely means either the firm did not apply or it fell under the reporting threshold (businesses with 3 or fewer employees were not individually named for privacy reasons). FranksOgilvie has made no public statements about any wage subsidy claims or refunds.
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz