Rosemary Wooders

Partner, Auckland

Contact

+64 9 916 8381 +64 21 677 339 rosemary.wooders@bellgully.com

Expertise

Rosemary is a highly experienced employment and workplace health and safety lawyer, known for being a trusted advisor to clients across a wide range of industries. Rosemary's expertise and dedication ensures that clients receive comprehensive and practical solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Rosemary advises employers and senior executives on an extensive range of transactional, contentious and advisory employment matters including personal grievances and disputes, collective bargaining matters, protected disclosures, restraints of trade, team move matters, absence management, redundancy and performance issues, and negotiated exits. She also advises on health and safety and employment related privacy matters.

An experienced negotiator, Rosemary represents employers and senior executives at mediation. When matters have not settled, Rosemary has represented clients in the Employment Relations Authority, the Employment Court, and the Coroner's Court.

Rosemary has an interest in the privacy and employment law implications of new technologies in the workplace, including biometrics and generative AI.

Outside of her legal work, Rosemary is influential in providing commentary online and through traditional media on New Zealand employment law issues. She is connected with employers and other lawyers across New Zealand and internationally regarding these issues, through media, social media, seminars and writing articles.

Qualifications

LLB (Hons), BA University of Auckland

2009 Ādmitted New Zealand

Professional experience

2022 - current Member Law Association New Zealand's Employment Law Committee

2014-2017 Macfarlanes London, UK

2013-2014 Dundas & Wilson (now CMS Cameron McKenna) London, UK

^{The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025 Labour and employment, 'Next Generation Partner'.}

^{Doyle's Guide 2025 Employment, 'Leading lawyer'.}

^{Rosemary regularly receives feedback from clients regarding her pragmatic and commercial approach and her responsiveness.}

^{Clients have commented that Rosemary "goes above and beyond to make the law accessible."}

Employment status issues

Advising several large clients on employment status risk arising from engaging contractors (and disputes arising from same).

Team moves

Advising clients on restraints of trade and team move matters arising from offering employment to employees of a competitor.

Complex employment investigations

Advising employers on a range of complex investigations, including in respect of bullying and harassment, sexual harassment, and fraudulent conduct in the workplace.

Minimum Wage Act and Holidays Act advice

Advising clients on a number of significant Minimum Wage Act and Holidays Act reviews and non-compliance issues across the public and private sectors (including remediation of same).

Corporate transactions

Advising on employment aspects of corporate transactions, including the transfer of employees, e.g. Nippon Life's acquisition of Resolution Life, First Sentier Investment's acquisition of Waste Management NZ, Toll Group's sale of Toll Network's business, and Fidelity Life's acquisition of Westpac Group's NZ life insurance business.

Personal grievance claim

Successfully representing a large employer in opposing a non-publication order defending multiple personal grievance claims in the Employment Relations Authority.

Privacy Act compliance reviews

Carrying out comprehensive Privacy Act compliance reviews for a range of large employers.

Minimum wage case

Successfully representing Enterprise Motor Group in Employment Court proceedings brought by the Labour Inspectorate relating to the application of the Minimum Wage Act to commission-based remuneration (Enterprise Motor Group (New Lynn) Limited v A Labour Inspector).