For your business

Help Starting and Structuring a Business.

Legal guidance to set up and structure your business the right way

Starting a business involves more than just a good idea. We help you choose the right structure and take care of the legal steps so you can focus on building your business.

Legal Advice on Business Structures

The way your business is structured affects how you manage risk, meet legal obligations and plan for growth. We help business owners and directors choose and set up structures that fit their goals and protect their interests.

Why Structure Matters

The right business structure influences how your organisation operates day to day and how decisions are made. It affects:

Risk management and liability

Compliance with company law and good governance requirements

Flexibility for growth or succession planning

Governance, decision making and reporting

We explain your options clearly so you can make informed choices and move forward with confidence.

What We Advise On

We assist with:

Company formation and incorporation

Shareholder and partnership agreements

Joint ventures and collaborative structures

Trust ownership and asset protection

Director duties and responsibilities

Business name and registration requirements

Our advice is tailored to your goals, whether you are starting a new business, restructuring an existing one or planning for long-term growth.

Practical, Tailored Advice

Our advice is:

Clear and relevant to your industry

Focused on your current stage of business

Grounded in commercial experience and practical outcomes

We provide straightforward legal guidance to ensure your structure supports your business now and in the future.

Where We Work

Our commercial law team is based in Wellington, Lower Hutt and Masterton. We assist business owners and directors across the Wellington region, Hutt Valley, Wairarapa and throughout New Zealand.

Questions We Often Get Asked About Business Structures:

The most common options are sole trader, partnership, company and trust. Each has different rules about ownership, liability and reporting. We explain how each structure works and help you decide which best fits your business goals and level of risk.

Registering a company creates a separate legal entity under the Companies Act 1993. This limits personal liability so the company, not its owners, is generally responsible for its debts. A registered company can continue trading even if ownership changes, making it easier to bring in new investors or sell the business. It can also appear more credible to customers, lenders and suppliers. We help you register correctly and understand your ongoing obligations.

In a partnership, the partners are personally responsible for the debts of the business. In a company, liability is usually limited to the capital invested. We explain how these differences affect risk, decision making and long-term growth.

A trust can hold shares or business assets to protect them from personal risk or to plan for succession. Trusts can also assist with estate and asset planning if managed properly. We advise on when a trust is appropriate and how to maintain compliance with trust law.

Yes. Businesses often start as sole traders or partnerships and later move to a company or trust structure as they grow. We assist with restructuring to ensure a smooth transition that maintains compliance and protects existing assets.