Bell Gully

[upbeat music] Today, Jason Betts and I are joined by Sophie East and Jesse Wilson, partners at Bell Gully and two of New Zealand's leading class actions and complex disputes practitioners.

While Australia has one of the most established class action regimes in the region, New Zealand has taken a different path by relying on representative proceedings, court-driven development, and an evolving approach to litigation funding and group claims.

Yet the two markets are increasingly connected with claims, funders, and litigation strategies moving across the Tasman.

We also heard that New Zealand's class action landscape continues to evolve through the courts, even as debate continues around a formal legislative regime.

Against that backdrop, boards and management teams should be paying close attention to governance and disclosure practices and emerging litigation trends, particularly in areas where class action activity is expected to grow in both jurisdictions.

Thanks to Aoife, and my thanks to Sophie East and Jesse Wilson from Bell Gully for sharing their excellent insights and perspectives.

We look forward to seeing you on the next episode of On Just Terms.

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She's one of three.

Her mother was a journalist in the press gallery and her father, a partner in law firm Bell Gully.

She studied at Victoria University and upon graduating, went on to work for two of the best as a research and policy advisor to Bill English and subsequently a senior advisor to John Key.

She went on to join Fonterra, firstly as a lobbyist and subsequently as general manager of Fonterra's nutrient management programme, while also sitting on the board of Export New Zealand.