Mark Copeland

About Me

“Mark Copeland is a recognised senior New Zealand commercial lawyer, and a governance expert. He is the founder and Principal of full-service, international commercial, disputes resolution and sports law firm 'Mark Copeland Lawyers', and the founder of 'Great Boards NZ', a national governance consultancy business. Prior to establishing his own Firm in 2009, Mark was a Partner in top-level, awards-winning corporate, commercial, property and disputes resolution law firms in Wellington, Auckland and Rotorua. He has acted for a wide range of clients, from private individuals to New Zealand government entities and major international corporations, advising on all aspects of commercial laws. His current legal practice covers the following fields: • Commercial Contracts and Risk Mitigation • Agri-Business Transactions, including domestic and international land and rural infrastructure Investment including solar farm development • General Property Transactions (Sales, Development, Leasing etc.) and Trust Law • Iwi Commercial Development • Energy (Electricity, Gas, Geothermal) Contracts • Sports Law, Integrity & Athlete Appeals Matters • Banking, Finance and Securities • Commercial and Sport Disputes Resolution • Commercial Arbitration and Mediation • Business Restructuring and Insolvency • Resource Management Act: Consenting, Compliance and Sustainable Land Use • Carbon Farming: ETS Scheme, High Country and Forestry Leases, Rights and Contracts Mark is a Chartered Member of the NZ Institute of Directors, an AMINZ-accredited Mediator and Arbitrator and a highly experienced company director across the corporate, NFP and sports sectors, including as current Trustee-Chair of two large-scale agri-businesses and a past member of the Advisory Board of the Bank of New Zealand for the Central Plateau Region. He is one of a select few New Zealand graduates from the Multilaw Academy in Quebec City, Canada, an intensive course for senior lawyers run by the Multilaw group of top global law firms, covering international commercial law negotiations. Mark is the Chair of the Ethics & Disciplinary Tribunals of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Bonn, Germany, and the immediate past Chair of the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centres of New Zealand ('Hillary Outdoors'). He is the founding Director of national board governance consultancy company Great Boards NZ, which assists SME, NFP and Sports entities with governance and integrity management advice throughout New Zealand. ”