Mark Russell

Partner
Email: mark.russell@helmores.nz
Ph: 021 499 231

Mark studied at Canterbury and Cambridge Universities before lecturing in company and banking law at the University of Canterbury for four years.

Mark went into legal practice in 1985 and was a partner in the Christchurch office of a prestigious national firm for 25 years before joining Canterbury Chambers in Christchurch as a commercial barrister at the beginning of 2015.

 Mark joined Helmores in September 2018.

  • Mark specialises in agribusiness, water, construction, company, trusts, banking, commercial and insolvency law, with particular emphasis on the following areas:

    • Construction contracts

    • Corporate structuring

    • Corporate governance

    • Corporate regulatory compliance, including Companies Act and Financial Markets Conduct Act;

    • Shareholder disputes

    • Corporate financing (including complex and bespoke structured financing)

    • Banking law matters (including credit recovery)

    • Commercial contract drafting

    • Joint ventures

    • Company and individual insolvency issues

    • Public issues of securities

    • Family and corporate trusts

  • Major examples of Mark’s work in recent years include:

    • Construction contract work for Rooney Earthmoving Limited, G&T Construction Limited, Otakaro Limited and Hunter Downs Water Limited

    • Structuring and governance of irrigation companies

    • Structuring and governance advice for primary industry co-operative companies including Wools of New Zealand Limited

    • Advice to building societies on securities issues, compliance, and governance issues

    • Drafting Product Disclosure Statements for share issues for various companies

    • Advising on Takeovers Code

    • Advising Safe Kiwi (New Zealand) Limited on NZ Real Estate Trust (independent escrow service for real estate transactions)

    • Director of Infinity Investment Group Holdings Limited

    • Chairman of Cookie Time Limited

    • Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors

    • Previously served as independent member of the Christchurch City Council Audit & Risk Management Committee, on the Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Board and as a director of various other companies