Amendments to the Companies Act 1993: How will they affect you?

An important new piece of legislation--the Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment bill—has just had its third reading in the New Zealand Parliament. It has been designed to hold directors that operate at or beyond the edges of moral and legal acceptability more directly accountable for their actions. The Bill affects the Companies Act 1993 and the Limited Partnerships Act 2008. Amongst the provisions, companies will be required to have at least one New Zealand-resident director, directors of limited partnerships will need to provide some personal information, and new offences for directors who act dishonestly or in bad faith will be created. 

Law firms MinterEllison and Bell Gully have published a helpful summary of the amendments on their respective websites (here and here). The Institute of Directors in New Zealand will probably provide some information to its members nearer the time the Bill comes into force. Directors, investors and other affected parties should become familiar with the amendments, even though most local companies and directors are unlikely to be directly affected by them. If you have any concerns, seek legal advice.