Melissa Ahlefeldt

Special Counsel, Wellington

Contact

+64 4 915 6541 +64 21 569 082 melissa.ahlefeldt@bellgully.com

Professional expertise

Melissa specialises in commercial contracting and legal advice across both public and private sectors.

Melissa specialises in commercial contracting and legal advice, including all aspects of tendering and procurement from designing a tender process to negotiating contracts. She has advised on a range of significant procurements, privatisations and outsourcings in areas such as information and communications technology, health, defence and social and economic infrastructure.

Melissa also has expertise in advising government entities on corporate governance and compliance, privacy, intellectual property, grants programs and probity. Melissa aims to provide clients with technically sound and pragmatic legal advice that recognises the client's commercial objectives.

Melissa was most recently a senior associate at an Australian law firm where she advised on a number of high profile and complex government projects.

Qualifications

LLB (Hons, First class) Australian National University

Bachelor of Asian Studies (Japanese) Australian National University

2011 Admitted Australia

2019 Admitted New Zealand

Professional experience

2010-2017 Ashurst LLP Canberra, Australia

Next Generation Critical Communications and Crown Infrastructure Partners

Advised NGCC (a division of NZ Police) and NiFF on the NZ$1.4bn digital infrastructure procurement of The Public Safety Network - Te Kupenga Marutau. This included major contracts for procuring a public safety communications network for emergency services agencies.

Public private partnerships (PPP) projects

Advising the Ministry of Education on the expansion of a number of schools procured under PPP contracts and advising Department of Corrections and Waka Kotahi on various issues arising in connection with PPP contracts.

Ministry of Health – Health Infrastructure Unit

Providing probity advice on the various procurement projects being undertaken by the Health Infrastructure Unit, including the new Dunedin hospital project.

Ministry of Defence

Advising on the procurement of significant new infrastructure at RNZAF Base Ōhakea to support the new P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

Department of Corrections - Ara Poutama Aotearoa

Co-leading the team advising on an augmentation to its existing Waikeria Prison Development PPP Project to provide for the expansion of Waikeria Prison.

Pharmac

Advising on medicine listing agreements and medical device listing agreements.

Electricity Authority

Advising on its commercial contracts with several key service providers.

Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities

Advised on procurement and probity aspects of its Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to enable new homes to be built in areas of high housing need.

Government releases guidance for the responsible use and adoption of Generative AI by the public sector

The Government is limiting farm-to-forestry conversions – further detail about the policy changes has been announced

Government announces final reforms to the Public Works Act

Consumer Data Right takes effect: a “monumental step for Kiwi consumers”

A new approach to planning and resource management

Spotlight on economic growth in the proposed new Government Procurement Rules

Expedited Public Works Act reform announcement: Environment Court out for priority projects, incentive payments in

26 February 2025

Public Works Act reform set to move forward

19 February 2025

Patenting the Poké Ball – could it happen here?

12 February 2025

The Big Picture: Infrastructure – changing tides and new opportunities