Christine James

I joined Dentons as an Associate in the Auckland Corporate & Commercial team. I was promoted to Senior Associate in January 2024 and recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ in the NZ Lawyer Rising Stars List 2024. I have extensive experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and structuring, capital raising, commercial contracts, procurement, supply arrangements, and consumer regulation.

I have advised clients across a broad range of industries, including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and investment. Current role includes following:

• Transactional: Advising on cross-border and domestic M&A transactions, including share and asset acquisitions and coordinating multi-jurisdictional due diligence.
• Commercial Contracts: Drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements, including supply, distribution, and consumer-facing arrangements.
• Corporate Governance & Restructuring: Providing advice on incorporations, financing, restructuring, regulatory compliance, and ongoing governance.
• Joint Ventures: Structuring and advising on joint venture arrangements across healthcare, primary industries, and technology sectors.
• Multinational Corporates: Advising global clients on New Zealand regulatory requirements for clinical trials, medicines, and medical devices, including product labelling, consumer protection, and long-term contracts with public health organisations.
• Retail Sector: Advising major retailers on promotional campaigns and regulatory compliance.

Table of notable transactions is included at the end of my CV.

Other skills/projects include:

• Training and supporting junior team members, maintaining culture of collaboration.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive successful completion of complex projects within deadlines.
• Mentoring junior associates, fostering professional growth and helping them reach their full potential.
• Consistently maintaining strong relationships with clients, ensuring clear communication and timely updates on project progress.
• Implementing process improvements (including designing and implementing process for using Dentons address and leading precedent update in 2025).

• Company Overview: Pidgeon Judd is a boutique law firm with offices in Auckland and Wānaka specialising in property, commercial law, unit titles, cross-leases, plus trust & asset planning.
• My role was focused on corporate and commercial work and included advising a range of clients in relation to commercial contracts, commercial property, leasing and licensing, corporate transactions, finance and securities and intellectual property.

• Company Overview: Foy & Halse is an Auckland law firm based in Auckland offering client-focused legal services in areas such as corporate, property, trusts, estates, immigration, and litigation.
• My role was focused on corporate transactions, commercial contracts, commercial property, leasing and licensing, dispute resolution and intellectual property.

• Company Overview: Redfern Legal LLP is a boutique law firm in Covent Garden, London specialising in Business Law and Immigration.
• My role within the firm was focused on commercial and corporate work but also included general practice work including Privacy and data protection, commercial transactions, commercial contracts, commercial conveyancing and lease work, legal research, UK employment law and dispute resolution and claim management.

• Company Overview: Leigh Judd Law was a boutique law firm in Auckland City specialising in Property and Commercial Law as well as Trusts and Estates.
• My role began as law clerk and developed into a full time graduate solicitor. Being the only other solicitor at the firm (apart from the Principal) meant that my role included both day-to-day work experience as well as business development experience. Work experience included assisting with commercial transactions, commercial contracts, residential conveyancing and related financing, company and trust documentation.