Richard Massey

Partner, AI Lead, Auckland

Contact

+64 9 916 8824 +64 21 208 2355 richard.massey@bellgully.com

Expertise

Richard is a specialist regulatory lawyer and Bell Gully's AI Lead, delivering strategic commercial and compliance advice across a range of sectors, with a focus on emerging technologies, the legal implications of AI, privacy, ESG, consumer law and, financial services.

As part of Bell Gully's Consumer, Regulatory and Compliance team, Richard has a deep expertise in navigating complex and emerging regulatory landscapes, including the following key practice areas:

AI governance (including advising boards and executives on AI strategy and risk, negotiating vendor agreements and designing responsible AI frameworks)
Financial services, payments, and consumer credit
Privacy, data protection and cybersecurity
Commercial contracting, supply chain and distribution agreements
Retail, e-commerce, marketing and consumer law
Intellectual property and brand protection
ESG, including climate-related disclosures and modern slavery reporting

Richard’s expertise across a range of practice areas enables him to identify regulatory intersections and emerging risks, helping clients navigate overlapping legal requirements through integrated and commercially pragmatic advice.

As the firm’s AI Lead, Richard is closely involved in the adoption of AI across Bell Gully, ensuring our lawyers are supported with the leading tools to deliver exceptional outcomes for clients. He also works with clients’ in-house legal teams to identify where AI can safely add value and to help streamline the delivery of complex projects.

Richard also regularly presents at industry seminars and is a frequent media commentator on AI, payments, ESG, privacy, and other evolving regulatory issues.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Oxford University

GDL, LPC BPP Law School

2011 Admitted England and Wales

2014 Admitted New Zealand

Professional experience

2009-2012 Slaughter and May London, UK

^{The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026 Data protection and cyber security, 'Next Generation Partner'.}

^{Clients note that Richard is "a key contact on corporate climate-related regulatory and compliance issues."}

Commercial contracting

Advising on commercial contracting matters in a range of contexts including in relation to complex distribution agreements, sponsorship agreements, "white label" financial services, loyalty scheme partnership agreements and terms of trade.

Data breaches, cyber security and privacy

Frequent engagement on data breaches and related cyber security and privacy issues, including compliance with mandatory breach notification procedures under the Privacy Act and engaging with CERT NZ and IDCare in relation to notified incidents.

ESG

Advising legal and sustainability teams on ESG matters including drafting Modern Slavery statements and reviewing marketing collateral for "greenwashing" risks.

e-contracts

Advising various clients on e-contract issues including the design of clickwrap contracts and related unfair contract terms considerations, e-signatures, email contracts and variations to online terms.

CCCFA compliance

Advising various lenders on all aspects of CCCFA compliance (including responsible lending, disclosure, fee restrictions, and the due diligence duty) and related financial services registration and dispute resolution obligations.

NZ market entry compliance

Advising international businesses on entry into the New Zealand market and ongoing consumer, technology and privacy obligations, including developing customer terms and privacy policies.

Connected vehicle service providers

Advising various connected vehicle service providers on consumer law, privacy, transport, surveillance and telecommunications obligations.

Fair Trading Act

Advising a major telecommunications company on aspects of Fair Trading Act compliance, including unfair contract terms and substantiation of representations, and reviewing marketing collateral.

IP advisory

Advising on a range of significant intellectual property matters, particularly at the intersection of copyright and artificial intelligence. This includes advising clients on complex copyright issues arising from the use of generative AI in content production, including the extent to which copyright subsists under New Zealand law in AI-assisted works. He also assisted a leading telco on copyright issues as part of the development of a broader AI governance framework.