Technology ‘rising star’ Peter Fernando will be based in Christchurch.
Peter Fernando.
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 the Christchurch corporate and commercial team, Fernando 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 startups. 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,” Fernando said.
Also an expert on privacy law and cyber risk, he helps 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.
Duncan Cotterill chair Richard Lang 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.
“The appointment of Peter to our partnership reaffirms Duncan Cotterill’s investment in the technology sector,” he said.
Fernando’s appointment will increase Duncan Cotterill’s partnership to 49 partners, expanding the firm to more than 310 people, operating from offices in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, and Queenstown.
“Peter has been recognised by the industry for his outstanding achievements [and is] a standout member of the team for his in-depth knowledge of technology issues, supporting many large public sector clients through unprecedented digital transformation,” Lang said.
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