Published: 13 October, 2008
Pages: 116

Introduction

The Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006 came into force on 1 August 2008. The Act permits lawyers (including barristers) and law firms to incorporate, albeit with a number of constraints.

The profession has shown considerable interest in incorporation. Many firms propose incorporating at the beginning of their next financial year. The NZLS CLE seminar “Incorporating your Law Firm – what you need to know” (June 2007) covered many of the issues likely to arise. At that stage some of the final details had not been settled. The present seminar will cover some of the ground covered in the earlier seminar, but also builds on it. It aims to provide practitioners with some practical guidance, including precedents and commentary on suggested forms of Constitution, Shareholders Agreement and Agreement for the Sale and Purchase of the Business and Assets of the Law Firm to the Incorporated Law Firm.

In addition it aims to provide a forum for discussion of practical tax and business issues that will arise as firms move to incorporate.