Melissa Ahlefeldt

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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.

Work highlights

Next Generation Critical Communications and Crown Infrastructure Partners
Advised Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC) (a division of New Zealand Police) and Crown Infrastructure Partners Limited (CIP) on the $1.4 billion digital infrastructure procurement of The Public Safety Network - Te Kupenga Marutau. This included a suite of major contracts for the procurement of a critical public safety communications network for New Zealand's emergency services agencies.

Public private partnerships (PPP) schools expansion project
Advising the Ministry of Education on the expansion of a number of schools procured under PPP contracts, including the expansion of Wakatipu High School which achieved financial close in March 2021 and the planned expansions to Rolleston College, Te Ao Mārama Primary School and Hobsonville Point Primary School.

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.

COVID-19 vaccines
Advising on aspects of supply agreements for COVID-19 vaccines.

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

Public private partnerships (PPP) projects
Advising the Ministry of Education, Department of Corrections and Waka Kotahi on various issues arising in connection with their PPP contracts.

New Zealand Infrastructure Commission
Seconded to the Infrastructure Commission for six months to assist on the review of the New Zealand Public Private Partnership model released in January 2021.

National Disability insurance scheme (Australia)
Advised on the engagement of Local Area Coordinators who assist people to obtain support through the scheme.

Privatisation of the registry function of the Australian Security and Investments Commission
Advised on the initial scoping study and the subsequent tender process to engage a private operator for the registry function of the Australian Security and Investments Commission (responsible for business registers, including the companies and business names registers).

OneSKY project
One billion dollar project to procure a new harmonised civil/military air traffic control system for Australia. Provided probity advice for almost five years on this high profile and complex project.

Australian Communications and Media Authority
Advised on a number of procurements of auction software for auctions of spectrum licences.

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Work highlights

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