Liz Coats

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Liz is a specialist employment lawyer who delivers practical, commercially-focused advice.

Liz has extensive experience advising on the full range of employment and industrial relations issues. She regularly advises employers on compliance with minimum employment standards, redundancy and restructuring issues, restraints of trade, collective bargaining and industrial action, and large-scale remediation processes. She also advises on health and safety and privacy matters.

Liz works to reduce the time and cost for clients when resolving employment disputes and is experienced in all forms of dispute resolution. If formal litigation is unavoidable, she has substantial experience in mediation, the Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court and Court of Appeal.

Liz has a reputation for being accessible and responsive to her clients, and is known for her clear, pragmatic, commercially-focused advice.

Liz has been named in Doyles Guide 2023 as a preeminent lawyer in their list of Employment Lawyers in New Zealand.

Chambers Asia Pacific 2023 ranks Liz as a leading employment lawyer. In previous editions, her experience has been highlighted on a variety of employment matters including collective bargaining, termination disputes and M&A-related matters. Clients appreciate that she "provides a balanced and pragmatic view on all advice and does so in an efficient and matter-of-fact way so as to provide the reassurance that is often necessary when facing issues."

In The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023, Liz is ranked as a 'Next Generation Partner' in the labour and employment practice area. Clients say Liz "has a fantastic approach and always provides a view to assist with our decision making." In past editions clients described Liz as "calm and clear", saying that she is "able to provide assurances to lawyers and senior management throughout our business about how the employment dispute market works here in NZ."

Women in Business Law Awards Asia Pacific named Liz Labour & Employment Lawyer of the Year in 2022. She was also recognised as one of the finalists for Labour & Employment Lawyer of the Year in the same awards in 2023.

Work highlights

Minimum employment standards compliance
Advised employers in the public and private sector on a wide range of Holidays Act and minimum employment standards compliance issues, including identifying non-compliance, remediating employees, and negotiating enforceable undertakings with the Labour Inspectorate. This includes oversight of large-scale remediation processes, and associated Board reporting.

Proceedings between competitors involving an alleged “team move"
Acted for a technology company in High Court proceedings with a competitor involving departing employees and IP rights.

Employment disputes
Acted for employers in a wide range of employment disputes in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court, including personal grievance claims, negotiated exits, restraints of trade, and breaches of confidentiality. Recent experience includes Macdonald v Brake & Transmission New Zealand Limited (which involved successfully defending a claim for alleged underpayment of commissions), Ilin v Goodman Fielder New Zealand Limited (which involved successfully defending an unjustified dismissal claim arising from a serious misconduct investigation), and litigation arising from directions to take annual holidays during the COVID-19 lockdown in March/April 2020 (for which a full Court of the Employment Court was convened).

Employment issues arising from corporate transactions
Alongside Bell Gully’s corporate team, advised numerous vendors and purchasers on managing employment law risks arising from mergers, acquisitions, transfers and outsourcing transactions, including due diligence and sale and purchase agreement provisions addressing employment issues. Recent transactions include advising Igneo Infrastructure Partners in relation to its acquisition of Eastland Network, and Ampol on its NZ$1.96 billion acquisition of Z Energy.

Other transactions Liz has advised on include Apax Partners LLP in relation to its acquisition of TradeMe and EQT Infrastructure IV Fund in relation to its acquisition of Metlifecare.

Collective bargaining advice
Advises several large employers on industrial relations strategy and collective bargaining issues, including representing employers in Employment Court proceedings seeking to restrain unlawful strikes.

Equal Pay Act litigation
Represented TerraNova Homes and Care in the Employment Court and on an appeal to the Court of Appeal in historic proceedings brought by the Service and Food Workers Union and one of its member employees (a caregiver) on equal pay issues in the aged care sector. Described as "one of the most important cases to come before the Employment Courts" by the Chief Judge of the Employment Court, this case is the most significant case under the Equal Pay Act 1972.

Health and safety advice
Acted for employers in relation to WorkSafe complaints and investigations, provided support and advice in interviews with WorkSafe, and reviewed commercial and employment agreements for compliance with relevant health and safety legislation and best practice.

Carter Holt Harvey Employment Court proceedings
Successfully represented Carter Holt Harvey and Rank Group in multiple Employment Court proceedings brought by the Pulp and Paper Workers Union (on behalf of over 100 former employees). The claims related to the calculation of pay for annual holidays and alternative holidays upon the sale by Rank Group of its pulp, paper and packaging business to the Oji Holdings Corporation and Innovation Network of Japan.

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Work highlights

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