Bell Gully has appointed five new partners in 2024: corporate lawyers Alex Bond, Gabrielle Menzies and Richard Massey, projects and real estate lawyer Mat Brown, and dispute resolution lawyer Sam Hiebendaal. These talented lawyers, all of whom have been internally promoted, bring diverse skills, experience and insights to the partnership.
“We are pleased to welcome Alex, Gabrielle, Richard, Mat and Sam to the partnership. Each brings a unique range of skills to the position and has built a reputation for working tirelessly for the success of clients with Bell Gully and internationally,” says Bell Gully Chair and Partner Torrin Crowther.
"Alex is an excellent corporate lawyer and has advised clients in many industries across a wide range of M&A and other corporate and commercial matters. Gabrielle is an experienced transactional lawyer, with particular expertise in public and private M&A, equity capital markets and joint venture transactions. Richard jointly leads our Consumer, Regulatory and Compliance practice, and is a trusted adviser to various clients on regulatory issues including privacy, cybersecurity, ESG, AI and consumer credit. Mat advises on complex development, construction and infrastructure projects across New Zealand and is a well-respected specialist in this area. Sam is a skilled advocate with particular expertise in insurance, competition law and class actions.”
Partners
Alex Bond – Corporate partner
Alex is an experienced and trusted corporate and commercial lawyer in Bell Gully’s market-leading corporate team. Alex has worked as a corporate lawyer in New Zealand, London and Paris. He has experience advising corporates, listed issuers, private equity sponsors and other financial investors on M&A and other corporate and commercial matters across a broad range of sectors.
Gabrielle Menzies – Corporate partner
Gabrielle is a well-respected corporate lawyer with considerable experience advising on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters in New Zealand and overseas. She has performed important roles on a number of significant M&A transactions in the New Zealand market with local and international clients since her return to Bell Gully in 2020. Gabrielle is a trusted advisor and develops close working relationships with clients to facilitate successful transactions.
Richard Massey – Corporate partner
Richard delivers strategic advice across a range of sectors, with a focus on consumer law, privacy, ESG and emerging legal and regulatory requirements. He is a widely-experienced regulatory specialist and supports clients across several key practice areas, assisting with the negotiation of commercial contracts, providing compliance advice, and helping with submissions on proposed legislative reform.
Mat Brown – Projects and Real Estate partner
Mat has experience advising on some of New Zealand’s most significant projects, from inception through delivery, across a range of industry sectors. He is well known for his practical and straightforward approach, and is a trusted advisor to Government Departments, Local Authorities, iwi organisations, developers and contractors.
Sam Hiebendaal – litigation and dispute resolution partner
Sam is a dispute resolution, insurance, and competition law specialist, with experience advising clients on significant and complex disputes, including class actions here and overseas. Sam regularly advises major insurers and insured companies on a range of contentious insurance matters, from prudential and regulatory issues to litigation over policy entitlements. He has represented clients from a range of other industries at all levels of the court system, including the Supreme Court, and in numerous arbitrations and mediations.