For many years, the world’s most reputable and respected legal directories have placed Bell Gully at the top of their rankings tables. Every year, directories such as Chambers, The Legal 500 and the IFLR1000 conduct extensive market research, undertaking interviews with clients and law firms to build a comprehensive picture of the legal markets around the world. Our lawyers, and the practices they have built, are consistently recognised as New Zealand’s market leaders.
International legal directories
- Bell Gully was recognised for having leading lawyers ranked 41 times (10 in Band 1) and with 9 band 1 rankings in areas of expertise in the recently released Chambers Asia Pacific 2022.
- For 18 of the past 20 years, Bell Gully has been awarded the most New Zealand 'leading individual' rankings in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific. The firm has also stood at the top of the table for practice area rankings for 17 of the last 20 years. In the 2021 edition, 11 Bell Gully lawyers received rankings as 'next generation partners' - the most across New Zealand firms.
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Bell Gully is a leading New Zealand firm across Band 1 practice areas and Band 1 individuals in Chambers Asia Pacific 2021.
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In Chambers Global 2021, Bell Gully is the only New Zealand firm to have a partner ranked as a leading lawyer for climate change work.
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Global Competition Review's GCR 100 has recognised Bell Gully as having an 'elite' competition practice for the past 18 years, its highest ranking in New Zealand.
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International Tax Review's (ITR) World Tax 2021 awarded Bell Gully's tax practice a top-tier ranking, for the 18th consecutive year. Bell Gully is also the only New Zealand law firm to be ranked Tier 1 in ITR's World Transfer Pricing 2021.
Awards
We have an unparalleled track record of winning major legal awards, both in recognition of the firm’s achievements and for the excellent work completed on individual deals. These recognise the strength of our relationships with clients, the scale and breadth of the work we do, the calibre of our work and of our people, and the legal innovation that makes the deals we work on successful.
Other recent awards we have received reflect our commitment to diversity, equal opportunity and our broader service to the community.
- Bell Gully was recognised for excellence across 9 categories at the New Zealand Law Awards 2022, Bentley Systems' acquisition of Seequent Holdings from Accel-KKR won M&A Deal of the Year. The firm was recognised for work on the Crown financing support package for Air New Zealand which won Debt Market Deal of the Year. Indevin Group acquisition of Villa Maria Estate from FFWL receivership won Insolvency and Restructuring Deal of the Year. The firm was recognised for Large Law Firm of the Year.
- Bell Gully had four lawyers named as finalists in the Women in Business Law Awards 2022, Anna Buchly, Liz Coats, Sarah Anderson-Butler and Jennifer Gunser. Liz Coats was recognised as Labour & Employment Lawyer of the Year.
- Bell Gully was recognised for excellence across 11 categories at the New Zealand Law Awards 2021. Metlifecare NZ$1.3bn sale to Asia Pacific Villages Group won M&A Deal of the Year. The firm was recognised for work on Mercury NZ Finance $200 million seven-year green bond offer, which won Debt Capital Markets Deal of the Year. Bell Gully’s Restructuring and Insolvency team won the award in their sector for Liquidation of Pacific Aerospace assets. Auckland Litigation Partner, Brad Ward won Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year (35 or under).
- Bell Gully has recently been recognised as the New Zealand Firm of the Year at the 2021 Who’s Who Legal Awards. The firm's competition team had more lawyers recognised in Who's Who Legal than others in the New Zealand market. The firm was also recognised as the national law firm in the 2021 Country and State awards.
- Bell Gully had two partners named as awardees in New Zealand Lawyer's Elite Women 2021, Rachael Brown and Laura Littlewood.
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Bell Gully's insurance team was recognised in Insurance Business New Zealand's inaugural Five-Star Excellence Awards.
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Bell Gully won New Zealand Deal Firm of the Year, at the 2021 Australasian Law Awards.
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For the second year in a row, Bell Gully won New Zealand Litigation Firm of the Year at the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2021. Partner Sophie East was also named runner up for New Zealand Litigation Lawyer of the Year.
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In 2021, Bell Gully's employment team received 5-star accreditation in HRD New Zealand's 5-Star Employment Law Firms report.
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Bell Gully won three awards at the 2021 IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards. For the second year in a row, the firm was named New Zealand Firm of the Year, while our corporate team were acknowledged for their contributions on two major regional transactions. This included winning Debt and Equity Deal of the Year for our work on Xero Investments' convertible notes and buy back, and the M&A Deal of the Year for our work on Resolution Life's acquisition of AMP Life.
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Bell Gully won seven awards at the 2020 New Zealand Law Awards. Bell Gully's Corporate team was recognised as New Zealand Deal Team of the Year, while the Vodafone New Zealand acquisition won M&A Deal of the Year, Debt Market Deal of the Year and overall New Zealand Deal of the Year. Bell Gully's Corporate team also won Equity Market Deal of the Year for the Napier Port IPO. For the second year in a row, chair Anna Buchly was named Managing Partner of the Year, while Wellington Corporate partner Angela Harford won Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year (35 or under).
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At the 2020 INFINZ Awards, the NZ$3.4bn sale of Vodafone NZ to Infratil and Brookfield won three awards including NZ Equity Market Transaction of the Year, M&A Transaction of the Year and Debt Deal of the Year. Bell Gully acted as Vodafone Group's counsel on this significant transaction. Chair Anna Buchly also received the Hunter Campbell Diversity and Inclusion award, underpinning the firm's commitment to providing a diverse and inclusive environment.
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Bell Gully's Litigation team was recognised at the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific Awards 2020, winning several awards including New Zealand Litigation Firm of the Year. Department leader David Friar was named New Zealand Litigation Lawyer of the Year. The litigation team also received an Impact Case of the Year award at the asialaw Awards 2020 for its work on the insolvency of CBL Insurance.
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Bell Gully's tax team was recognised at the ITR Asia Tax Awards 2020, winning New Zealand Tax Firm of the Year and an Impact Case of the Year award for the sale of Vodafone New Zealand.
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Bell Gully was recognised as one of country's leading legal employers in NZ Lawyer's inaugural Employer of Choice 2020 report.
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Bell Gully won two awards at the Client Choice Awards 2020. The firm was named joint-winners in both Best Professional Services Firm ($50-$200m revenue) and Best Law & Related Services Firm ($50-$200m revenue) categories across Australasia.
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Bell Gully was recognised as the most innovative law firm in New Zealand at the IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards 2020.
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In 2020, Bell Gully was voted among the top 30 New Zealand employers in a survey of recent graduates from GradNewZealand.
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Bell Gully won six awards at the 2019 New Zealand Law Awards. The firm was awarded Employer of Choice, while chair Anna Buchly was named Managing Partner of the Year. We also advised on the transactions named as New Zealand Deal of the Year, M&A Deal of the Year, Capital Markets Deal of the Year and International Deal of the Year.
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Bell Gully was named a 2019 winner at the NZ UN Women's Empowerment Principles White Camellia Awards. The firm received an award in recognition of our work to promote education, training and professional development opportunities for women. The awards celebrate organisations that are taking positive steps to ensure our New Zealand workplaces are fair, equal and offer the opportunity to succeed.
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Bell Gully's tax team was recognised at the ITR 2019 Asia Tax Awards, winning a Regional Impact Case of the Year award for their tax avoidance and interest deductions work in Frucor Suntory New Zealand vs CIR.
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Bell Gully was named National Firm of the Year for New Zealand at the Asialaw Asia-Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards 2018.
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Bell Gully won New Zealand Deal Firm of the Year, at the 2018 Australasian Law Awards.
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Bell Gully won the award for best provider to the Financial and Insurance Services industries in Australasia at the Financial Review’s 2017 Client Choice Awards. Bell Gully was the only New Zealand law firm to receive a 2017 Client Choice Award from the Financial Review.
