About Mayne Wetherell
Mayne Wetherell is a close-knit team acting on New Zealand’s most significant and complex business transactions. Our supportive culture and one-team approach create opportunities for our people to grow quickly while contributing to work that helps shape New Zealand’s business landscape.
Our work
Mayne Wetherell is a premier specialist corporate, finance and tax law firm. We regularly act on groundbreaking transactions, where creativity, collaboration and an in-depth understanding of our clients’ businesses are essential.
Our clients, both domestic and international, are deal makers who value clear commercial advice. They seek us out for our ability to deliver sophisticated legal solutions with a strong focus on practical outcomes and exceptional service.
Working on these complex transactions develops our lawyers’ business acumen, problem-solving skills and commercial judgement. Such experience prepares them to excel in New Zealand and globally.
Our alumni continue to secure roles at leading international law firms, companies and financial institutions, reflecting our strong reputation as a market leader in corporate, finance and tax law.
Our clients
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Our approach
Mayne Wetherell specialises in significant and complex business transactions, with market leading expertise across corporate, finance and tax. We pride ourselves on being the firm that clients turn to when a complex or high value transaction requires expert legal input.
Our style is to drive outcomes and create opportunities. We facilitate commercial results while protecting our clients’ interests. This approach has enabled us to build strong and enduring relationships with our clients and become trusted advisors.
Mayne Wetherell operates as one team. Our flat structure enables close collaboration, allowing us to deliver high-quality work and successful outcomes.
Our approach ensures our people gain a depth and versatility of experience that is unrivalled in the market. We reward our people with meaningful work, strong development opportunities and market-leading remuneration. We believe this is a combination unmatched in New Zealand’s legal market.
Our culture
Mayne Wetherell combines the best aspects of a large full-service firm with the close-knit nature of a boutique practice. Our non-hierarchical structure allows us to foster an open and collaborative environment, which encourages a sense of belonging.
We work hard when the work demands it, supporting each other as one team to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients. Our one-team approach means we take on challenges together and ensure no one is left to navigate them alone.
Mayne Wetherell is proud to be B Corp certified. Our commitment to responsible business practices is reflected in our everyday operations through initiatives such as responsible supplier sourcing, a paperless office and pro bono work.
We also cultivate strong connections beyond work. Various social events and wellbeing activities help create a supportive and balanced workplace.
A core aspect of our culture is creating equal opportunities for everyone. Flexible working and generous parental leave, among other things, ensure everyone can progress at Mayne Wetherell through different stages of life.
Beyond the law
Opportunities to get involved extend well beyond legal work. Our people play an active role in firm life through a range of committees and internal projects that help shape how we operate.
Our size, our culture where everyone has a voice and our commitment to continuous improvement mean good ideas are implemented quickly.
Whether organising events, supporting community initiatives or contributing to firm-wide improvements, everyone is encouraged to get involved in the areas that interest them. These opportunities strengthen our culture, build connections across the firm and allow our team to make a meaningful impact outside their day-to-day work.
In 2025, we acted for Watercare in establishing its funding programmes in New Zealand, Australia and globally. Together, these programmes enable Watercare to raise more than US$5 billion in New Zealand and globally and give Watercare the flexibility to access the most attractive debt capital markets at any given time.
Mei Nah
“It was a privilege to act as Watercare’s trusted legal advisor on this transaction. Establishing a multi-programme debt issuance framework required navigating complex legal and market considerations across multiple jurisdictions. Our strategic input helped Watercare access diverse capital markets with confidence, supporting long-term infrastructure investment across Tāmaki Makaurau.”
Joshua Ioelu
“Opportunities to establish a full suite of debt capital market programmes from scratch are rare in the New Zealand market, so being involved in this engagement has been a significant experience in my career. It has been a substantial learning opportunity for me, and watching our juniors grow in confidence and capability throughout the process has been particularly rewarding. Building strong relationships with Watercare and knowing that our work supports a lifeline utility for the city I live in made this engagement especially fulfilling.”
Helena Moratti
“I was exposed to technical legal concepts I hadn’t encountered before and was empowered to take ownership of the project management aspects of the engagement. It was a fantastic opportunity to grow professionally while contributing to a deal that has real impact on Auckland’s future infrastructure. The collaborative culture of our team made it an incredibly rewarding experience.”
We advised The Rohatyn Group on its 2025 acquisition of Rayonier’s 77% stake in Matariki Forestry Group, a leading New Zealand forestry operator. With a transaction value of over NZ$1.2 billion, this transaction represents one of the largest forestry transactions completed in New Zealand.
Cameron Reeves
“We were proud to have advised The Rohatyn Group on an acquisition that was transformative to its presence in New Zealand. The transaction took place over a 12-month period and required close co-ordination with stakeholders and advisers across a range of jurisdictions. It was particularly rewarding to see the broader Mayne Wetherell team come together across various practice areas and experience levels to achieve a great outcome for our client.”
Teia Wallace
“Working on this transaction was a highlight of my career so far. I loved being involved in a deal of that scale and complexity where every workstream connected to a broader commercial outcome. It was hugely valuable in developing my technical skills, deepening my understanding of transaction structuring and execution and seeing first-hand the impact well-advised legal work can have.”
Maria Tzolov
“When I was a graduate, I was involved in the due diligence process for the Matariki Forests acquisition with exposure to the corporate, finance and employment aspects of the transaction. This provided valuable insight into how the corporate and finance elements of a transaction are interconnected. I continued to work on this project as a solicitor and assisted with the coordination and execution of the completion process. It was a great opportunity to understand how complex large-scale transactions are brought together and successfully closed in practice.”
Rosa Clarke
“As a summer clerk, I had the opportunity to contribute to this acquisition, including assisting with the incorporation of the special purpose vehicle for the deal. It was valuable to see how corporate structures are established to support complex transactions and how juniors can contribute to the success of a transaction, particularly one of this scale.”
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