Extensive changes to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance
Act 2003 are coming into force on 6 June 2015.
They will have a significant impact on lenders who advance funds to
consumers (for example, home loans, credit cards, vehicle finance
or those who lend money for the purchase of consumer goods and
services).
By Melissa Higham - 27 Mar 2015
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Does your business use standard form consumer contracts? If so,
you need to be aware that unfair contract terms will be prohibited
in standard form consumer contracts from today (17 March 2015).
By Melissa Higham - 17 Mar 2015
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Under the voidable transaction regime, the liquidator of a
company can "claw back" payments made to a creditor within
the two years prior to liquidation. In order to do so
liquidators must show the payment was made at a time when the
company was insolvent and allowed the creditor to receive more than
they would have in the liquidation.
By Claire Mansell - 18 Feb 2015
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We are pleased to announce our new associate, Claire Mansell.
Claire is an experienced litigator with particular expertise in
insolvency and civil litigation. She has been with us since
2009.
By Andrew Steele and Tony Johnson - 2 Feb 2015
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Generally speaking, a company is a separate legal entity in its
own right and its shareholders will not generally be liable for the
company's obligations. However, there are exceptions to this rule,
as illustrated in the recent case Lewis Holdings Ltd v Steel
& Tube Holdings Ltd.
By Claire Mansell - 29 Jan 2015
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Domain names are changing! From 1pm, 30 September 2014, you
will be able to register short and simple domain names like
shortandsimple.nz. This change will see second levels
(like the '.co' in '.co.nz' and the '.org' in '.org.nz') become
optional. For example, if your website is
mywebsite.co.nz, you may be able to get
mywebsite.nz.
By Mike Worsnop - 30 Sep 2014
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Fancy a carpet with lifetime stain and soil resistance? How
about one that won't fade for 25 years? Sounds great, but as usual,
the devil is in the detail.
By Craig Nelson - 11 Sep 2014
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You've spent a fortune on a new advertising campaign. Hundreds
of hours of research and planning have gone into it. The
launch of the campaign receives great applause and praise. And
then someone complains to the Advertising Standards
Authority saying "I object to this ad as it depicts women as
whimsical and irrational".
By Craig Nelson - 15 Aug 2014
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Copyright might not be something that you consider everyday -
but it comes up more often than you think. Just be glad that
you are not the photographer who thought he owned this photo.
By Melissa Higham - 8 Aug 2014
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The law now better reflects modern commercial and retail
practices and seeks to bring our consumer laws into line with those
of Australia. We set out eight key areas, with links for
greater detail to the Commerce Commission's website.
By Melissa Higham - 30 Jul 2014
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