Shine Lawyers NZ Limited

What Shine Lawyers NZ Limited does

Shine Lawyers NZ Limited is a privately held plaintiff litigation law firm incorporated in New Zealand, operating as a subsidiary of Shine Justice Ltd / Shine Lawyers Australia. The firm specializes in civil litigation, insurance disputes, abuse law, and class actions, serving individual consumers and small claimants across New Zealand through offices in Auckland and Christchurch. Core service areas include insurance claims (covering natural disasters, earthquakes under the EQC Act and NHI NZ Act, floods), institutional abuse compensation, construction defect claims, professional negligence, and four active class actions (Edgecumbe Flood, Toyota DPF, A2 Milk Shareholder, and Hino Motors). Notable outcomes include a $10.9 million Hino Motors settlement approved by the High Court, an AUD $62 million in-principle settlement in the A2 Milk class action, an approximately $30 million Christchurch EQC test case settlement, and over $500,000 facilitated for abuse survivors in care matters.

The firm operates on a No Win No Fee Conditional Fee Agreement model for eligible cases, where professional fees are only payable if the case is successful, supplemented by a 20% uplift premium on standard fees for successful matters. Under New Zealand law the firm is prohibited from charging percentage-based contingency fees; traditional hourly rate billing (time and attendance, monthly cadence) is used for matters outside the No Win No Fee scope. The go-to-market motion is consultative and sales-led: obligation-free initial consultations (in-person or virtual) assess case merit before engagement under a Conditional Fee Legal Services Agreement. Client acquisition channels include the firm's website and blog, Facebook/LinkedIn social presence, media/PR outreach, referrals from previous clients and insurance brokers, and word-of-mouth across New Zealand and the South Pacific.

The 12-person NZ operation runs with three Directors (Simon Morrison, Stephen Roche, Mobeena Hills), one Special Counsel, one Senior Associate, Solicitors, Law Clerks, and a Practice Manager. The firm is closely integrated with the Australian parent group for shared services, litigation funding, and brand leverage, while maintaining operational autonomy within New Zealand. The firm holds four New Zealand Law Awards (Boutique Law Firm, Insurance Specialist, Litigation & Dispute Resolution Specialist, Managing Partner of the Year) and maintains strategic litigation funding and co-counsel partnerships including Court House Capital (Toyota DPF funding) and Slater and Gordon (A2 Milk joint conduct).

Name

Shine Lawyers NZ Limited

Legal name

Shine Lawyers NZ Limited

Website

https://shinelawyers.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shine Lawyers NZ Limited is a privately held New Zealand plaintiff litigation law firm, subsidiary of Shine Justice Ltd, specializing in insurance disputes, abuse law, and class actions across Auckland and Christchurch. It serves individual consumers on a No Win No Fee basis with active class actions spanning automotive, shareholder, and natural disaster matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plaintiff Litigation Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Claims Advocacy & Loss Recovery Services (FSAEADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Plaintiff litigation services
• Class action representation
• Insurance claims legal
• Abuse law representation
• Earthquake damage claims

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Legal Services Fees: Traditional hourly rate billing (time and attendance) for legal services. Under No Win No Fee arrangements, professional fees are only payable if the case is successful. The firm is prohibited from charging percentage-based contingency fees under the Lawyers & Conveyancers Act.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shine Lawyers NZ Limited is a New Zealand plaintiff-side litigation law firm that represents individuals on a No Win No Fee basis across abuse law, Canterbury earthquake damage claims, insurance disputes, class actions, professional negligence, and trust and estate matters. The firm operates from offices in Auckland and Christchurch and is part of the Shine Lawyers Australia group.

Product overview

Shine Lawyers NZ Limited is a plaintiff litigation law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services organized around core practice areas and class actions. The core services include Insurance Claims (covering natural disasters, floods, earthquakes, property damage), Earthquake Claims (EQC Act and NHI NZ claims for natural hazard damage), Flood Claims, Abuse Law (institutional abuse claims), Construction Law (building defect claims), Professional Negligence Claims, Health and Life Insurance Claims, and Income Protection Claims. The firm conducts major Class Actions including the Edgecumbe Flood Action, Toyota DPF Action, A2 Milk Class Action, and Hino Motors Class Action. Services are available through offices in Auckland and Christchurch, with virtual appointments offered throughout New Zealand. The firm operates on a No Win No Fee basis for eligible cases, providing access to justice for individuals who cannot afford upfront litigation costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Abuse Law Plaintiff-side legal representation for individuals who have suffered sexual, institutional, or other abuse, pursuing civil compensation claims on a No Win No Fee basis.
• Earthquakes Practice Legal representation for Canterbury property owners and homeowners with unresolved or disputed earthquake damage and insurance claims, offered on a No Win No Fee basis.
• Insurance Claims Plaintiff-side legal representation for individuals disputing insurance claim outcomes, including under-settlement and denied claims, on a No Win No Fee basis.
• Class Actions Legal representation for individuals and groups seeking to participate in or initiate class action proceedings in New Zealand.
• Professional Negligence Plaintiff-side legal representation for individuals seeking compensation for losses arising from negligent acts or advice by professionals such as advisers, accountants, or lawyers.
• Trust & Estate Legal representation for individuals involved in disputes over trusts and estates, including contested wills and trust administration.

Quantifiable outcome

• $10.9 million settlement approved for Hino Motors Class Action with over 9,000 registered class members
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Slater and GordoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2022Supreme Court of Victoria ordered consolidation of class actions filed by Shine Lawyers and Slater and Gordon in the A2 Milk Shareholder Class Action. Both firms are jointly named as solicitors on the record, working together to conduct the class action.
• Service Partners (Shine Group)coreOthersShine Lawyers NZ shares personal information with related entities in Australia including Shine Lawyers Pty Ltd, Shine Justice Ltd, Shine NZ Services Pty Ltd, and Shine Lawyers US, LLC for providing legal services and litigation funding purposes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Shine Lawyers Australia (Shine Justice Ltd): Direct parent of Shine Lawyers NZ and the founding firm of the Shine Group. Operates the same plaintiff litigation model (insurance claims, class actions, abuse law) at much greater scale across Australia, making it the most direct comparable for the NZ subsidiary's strategy and economics.
• Slater and Gordon: Large Australian-listed plaintiff law firm with a personal injury and class action practice. Co-counsel with Shine Lawyers on the A2 Milk class action; operates a similar plaintiff-focused litigation model across insurance, abuse, and consumer class actions.
• Maurice Blackburn: Major Australian plaintiff law firm with deep expertise in class actions, insurance disputes, and personal injury. Operates a No Win No Fee model and pursues plaintiff litigation against large corporations and insurers, directly comparable to Shine Lawyers NZ's core service lines.
• Bell Gully: One of New Zealand's largest commercial law firms with a leading insurance litigation practice. While traditionally defendant-side, it competes for top legal talent and large insurance mandates in the NZ market where Shine Lawyers NZ focuses plaintiff-side.
• Russell McVeagh: Top-tier New Zealand law firm with a strong litigation and dispute resolution practice. Represents a comparable full-service NZ legal brand competing in the same human capital pool for top litigators.
• Buddle Findlay: Major New Zealand law firm with a significant insurance and litigation practice. Competes with Shine Lawyers NZ in the broader insurance dispute and commercial litigation space in NZ.
• Gadens: Australian law firm with insurance and litigation practices that overlap with Shine Lawyers NZ's core services. Operates across Australasia and competes for similar corporate and insurance-related mandates.

Regional players

• Lane Neave: Major New Zealand full-service law firm with a strong insurance litigation and earthquake claims practice. Competes directly with Shine Lawyers NZ in the Canterbury earthquake/EQC dispute space and in broader insurance litigation in NZ.
• Duncan King & Co: New Zealand-based plaintiff firm specialising in insurance claims, particularly earthquake and natural disaster claims. Directly competes with Shine Lawyers NZ in the Canterbury EQC and broader insurance dispute market.

Emerging players

• Phi Finney McDonald: Australian plaintiff class action specialist firm focused on shareholder and consumer class actions. Comparable to Shine Lawyers NZ's class action practice particularly for cross-jurisdictional matters like the A2 Milk case.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shinelawyersnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shine-lawyers-nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shine Lawyers NZ Limited