Christchurch – October 2022: Aotearoa
New Zealand law firm Duncan Cotterill has announced the
promotion of Peter Fernando to its partnership, continuing a
period of significant expansion in the firm’s leadership
team and presence in New Zealand.
Based in Duncan
Cotterill’s Christchurch Corporate and Commercial team,
Peter is a specialist in the technology sector, supporting
public and private sector clients with procurement and
complex contracts with technology partners as well as
advising major tech firms and start-ups. He also acts for
both vendors and purchasers in mergers and acquisitions,
with a particular interest in software as a service
(SaaS).
“This is a period when many organisations
are increasingly cloud-based, recognising the need to
integrate various existing systems with new platforms, often
using multiple suppliers under several licences and
agreements. This can be extremely complex to arrange. I
really enjoy helping clients on both sides, vendors and
customers, negotiate and implement contracts to make the
most of modern technologies and create the best outcomes for
their organisation,” Peter said.
Peter is also an
expert on privacy law and cyber risk, helping clients manage
privacy and cyber incidents and threats and to understand
their obligations under the Privacy Act 2020 and related
codes.
He was recognised in the NZ Lawyer’s 2022
“Rising Star” list and is also a recommended lawyer in
the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 legal directory for
technology law.
Richard Lang, Chair of Duncan
Cotterill, said technology law was an area of strategic
growth for the firm, reflecting the needs of its clients as
they tackle complex technical requirements and echoing the
growth of the New Zealand technology sector to challenge our
traditional reliance on agriculture and
tourism.
“For many years, we’ve sponsored the New
Zealand Hi-Tech Awards, recognising the importance of
digital innovation and adoption to the success of our
national economy. The appointment of Peter to our
partnership reaffirms Duncan Cotterill’s investment in the
technology sector, and our commitment to growing our senior
technology capabilities across the country even further,”
he said.
Peter’s appointment will increase Duncan
Cotterill’s partnership to 49 partners, making the firm
the second largest New Zealand law firm by partner number.
Consistent growth over the past three years has seen the
firm expand to more than 310 people, operating from offices
in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch and
Queenstown.
“It’s no surprise that Peter has been
recognised by the industry for his outstanding achievements
– even as we grow, he has proved to be a standout member
of the team for his in-depth knowledge of technology issues,
supporting many large public sector clients through
unprecedented digital transformation. We know he’ll be
equally capable as a mentor to junior members of our team,
and we congratulate him on his success,” said
Richard.
