About Us

A unique combination of experience and expertise

A&B combines the knowledge, experience, and expertise of two of New Zealand’s best and most experienced competition law specialists.

Neil was a Partner at one of New Zealand’s preeminent competition law practices for 14 years and led the practice for much of that time before establishing his own specialist competition law practice in 2020.
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David worked for another leading New Zealand law firm before serving as Principal Counsel, Competition at the Commerce Commission for five years and then establishing his own specialist competition law practice in 2017.

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The creation of A&B

We set up A&B because we are dedicated to achieving great results, having clients that love working with us, and enjoying what we do both at work and outside of work. Our approach is designed to achieve these objectives.

Find out more about our experience below.

Our approach

Each case is different and we understand our approach needs to be as unique as the problem.

Instead of applying a boilerplate method, we rely on a set of values that guide our approach, putting you & your business first.

More about our services

Neil Anderson

Phone:

+64 27 278 9494

Email:

neil@abcompetitionlawyers.nz

Neil is one of New Zealand’s most experienced competition law specialists. He has advised domestic and international clients on the full range of competition law matters and has worked right across the New Zealand economy, most notably in banking, insurance, ports, oil & gas (both upstream and downstream), agriculture, building products, aviation, roading, telecommunications, post, and electricity.
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Neil was a Partner at one of New Zealand’s preeminent competition law practices for 14 years and led the practice for much of that time before establishing his own specialist competition law practice in 2020.

David Blacktop

Phone:

+64 21 366 284

Email:

david@abcompetitionlawyers.nz

Over the last 20 years David has worked on nearly all the major competition law cases and law reforms that have shaped New Zealand's competition law. David started his career at Bell Gully in 2002, before spending five years as Principal Counsel, Competition at the Commerce Commission between 2012 and 2017 where he was responsible for the advice provided to the Commission on competition law matters. In 2017, David established his own specialist competition law practice.
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While he was at the Commerce Commission, David played a leading role in drafting the 2013 updates of the Commerce Commission’s Mergers and Acquisitions Guidelines and Authorisation Guidelines, and the initial drafting of the Competitor Collaboration Guidelines, which explain the Commission’s approach to New Zealand’s new cartel laws.

Our Experience

Our experience includes advising on all competition law matters, including mergers, cartels, restrictive trade practices, abuse of market power, market studies, economic and sector specific regulation, consumer law, and competition policy.
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Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about the matters we’ve worked on and how we can help you.

Our Services

A unique combination of experience and expertise

The creation of A&B

Our approach

Neil Anderson

David Blacktop

Our Experience

Locations

Auckland

Wellington

[Neil’s] advice is pragmatic and his creative thinking helps us to solve novel and difficult issues”.