MinterEllisonRuddWatts
• Business / Trading Name: MinterEllisonRuddWatts (also referred to as Minter Ellison Rudd Watts) – A leading New Zealand law firm with roots dating back to 1880.
• Company Number: 1151896 (for Minter Ellison Rudd Watts Limited, a registered NZ Limited Company).
• NZBN (NZ Business Number): 9429036828869.
• Entity Type: Partnership (independently owned law partnership operating via limited company entities). (Minter Ellison Rudd Watts Limited is registered as a NZ Limited Company ).
• Business Classification: Legal services (ANZSIC code 6931 – Professional Legal Services).
• Industry Category: Law Practice / Professional Services (full-service commercial law).
• Year Founded: 1880 (heritage traced to a late-19th-century firm).
• Addresses:
• Auckland Office – Level 22, PwC Tower, 15 Customs Street West, Auckland 1010, NZ (PO Box 105-249, Auckland 1143 ).
• Wellington Office – Level 5, BNZ Centre, 1 Whitmore Street, Wellington 6011, NZ (PO Box 2793, Wellington 6140 ).
• Website URL:
https://www.minterellison.co.nz
• LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/minterellisonruddwatts – (Active LinkedIn presence with ~336 listed employees).
• Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429036828869
• Social Media URLs:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/minter.ellison/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/minterellison/?hl=en
Twitter/X - https://x.com/minterellison?lang=en
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpJN1P-5RS3lQ3AvS0W30tg
• Ultimate Holding Company: None (independent New Zealand partnership with no overseas parent; part of the MinterEllison Legal Group via alliance, not ownership).
• Key Shareholders: Not applicable (partnership structure). Notably, firm service companies are wholly owned by senior partner Mark Robert Stuart (100% of shares in Minter Ellison Rudd Watts Ltd).
• Leadership: Governance by a Board of Partners. Chair – Sarah Sinclair (Partner, elected 2019). Chief Executive – Andrew Poole. Other board members include Andrew Horne, Megan Richards, Janine Stewart, Richard Wells (all Partners).
• Staff: Approximately 300+ staff (47 Partners and ~200 legal staff as of mid-2020s). LinkedIn categorizes company size as 201–500 employees.
• Staff with Previous Government Roles: Several current senior staff have held significant public-sector roles. For example, Dr. Ross Patterson (Consultant/Partner) served as New Zealand’s Telecommunications Commissioner and Commerce Commission member before joining the firm. Partner Sarah Salmond was formerly a government regulator (trade and economic regulation). Data suggests no ex-MPs currently on staff.
• Past Employees: Numerous alumni have moved into high-profile government positions. Notable examples include former partner John Allen, who became Chief Executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (after serving as CEO of NZ Post). Former special counsel Judith Collins went on to become an MP and Minister of Justice. Alumni also include judges (e.g. Sir Ivor Richardson, President of the Court of Appeal; High Court Justices Allen, Dobson, etc.) and regulators (e.g. Colin Patterson, first Securities Commission Chair).
• Clients: A wide array of corporate and government clients. The firm’s major clients include New Zealand’s largest banks (ANZ, ASB, Kiwibank, TSB, Westpac), leading insurers and insurance brokers (Marsh, Aon, etc.), state-owned enterprises and government entities, and prominent companies in sectors such as agriculture (Synlait Milk, Zespri), retail (The Warehouse), telecommunications (Spark), media (MediaWorks), energy (Refining NZ), infrastructure and others. International investors like Brookfield Asset Management and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp are also clients.
• Industries/Sectors Represented: Broad coverage including banking & financial services, managed funds and private equity, insurance, central and local government, infrastructure projects, energy and resources, manufacturing, health and aged care, telecommunications and media (TMT), technology startups, agriculture and primary industries, among others. The firm prides itself on expertise across most major sectors of the New Zealand economy.
• Publicly Disclosed Engagements: The firm’s involvement in public policy processes is occasionally documented. In 2021, MinterEllisonRuddWatts hosted a BusinessNZ Chief Executives’ roundtable attended by a Cabinet Minister (Hon. Andrew Little) at its Wellington office. The firm’s Chair, Sarah Sinclair, was formally appointed to the Government’s Three Waters Reform negotiation team (as an independent expert) in 2021, a role disclosed via an Official Information Act release. The firm also makes submissions on law reform – e.g. it submitted on financial services conduct regulation reforms (as noted in MBIE’s public consultation records).
• Affiliations: MinterEllisonRuddWatts is the New Zealand member of the MinterEllison Legal Group (a strategic alliance with MinterEllison in Australia). It is also part of the World Law Group international network of law firms. The firm holds associate membership in industry bodies like the Financial Services Council, and partners sit on influential boards (e.g. NZ China Council, BusinessNZ forums).
• Sponsorships / Collaborations: The firm collaborates on and sponsors various industry events and initiatives. It co-hosts the annual Corporate Governance Symposium, a high-profile event for company directors and executives. MinterEllisonRuddWatts has partnered with the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of NZ (AMINZ) for events like Construction Law Day. It is a community partner to the NZ Game Developers Association, supporting that tech industry group. The firm also sponsors business councils and trade forums (e.g. events with the Latin America NZ Business Council).
• Events (Organised by the Organisation): In addition to client seminars and networking socials, the firm regularly organises marquee events. Its Corporate Governance Symposium (running for over two decades) gathers leaders to discuss governance and regulatory trends. The firm hosts networking events for special interest groups (for example, young lawyers’ and entrepreneurs’ events at its offices). It frequently partners with business associations to host policy roundtables, as evidenced by its hosting of BusinessNZ’s CEO luncheon in March 2021.
• Political Donations: Data Not Found. There is no public record of direct political party donations by MinterEllisonRuddWatts as an entity. No donations are disclosed in New Zealand Electoral Commission filings above the reportable threshold under the firm’s name (any political contributions may be made by individual partners privately).
• Controversies: The firm has generally maintained a low public controversy profile. A notable incident was its participation in the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme in 2020. MinterEllisonRuddWatts claimed approximately NZ$2.0 million in wage subsidies, but faced criticism given the firm’s continued profitability. Under public and political pressure, the firm repaid the subsidy in May 2020, acknowledging its performance was better than forecast and it did not ultimately need the funds. This episode drew scrutiny to large law firms’ ethics and financial transparency during the pandemic. No other major public scandals (e.g. litigation or misconduct cases) involving the firm are documented in recent years.
• Other Information of Note: MinterEllisonRuddWatts is one of New Zealand’s “Big Six” law firms and has been repeatedly recognized in legal industry awards (e.g. NZ Law Awards). It positions itself as forward-looking – for instance, launching a Māori scholarship program to improve diversity in the legal profession. The firm emphasises its “one team” ethos and influence in shaping New Zealand’s future, reflecting an active interest in public affairs and thought leadership.
• Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: Yes – in 2020 the firm applied for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy, receiving NZ$2.03 million. After a public backlash (even the Leader of the Opposition criticized large law firms “not needing” the money), MinterEllisonRuddWatts repaid the full subsidy to the government in May 2020. The firm stated that updated analysis showed it would not suffer the revenue drop initially feared. The incident highlighted issues of judgement and integrity, though the prompt repayment was positioned as the firm “doing the right thing” once the financial outlook improved.
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz