Liz Blythe, Leading Technology and Telecommunications Lawyer : Russell McVeagh

Profile

Liz is a technology specialist, advising exclusively on technology-related matters. She regularly advises on complex transactions for the procurement, supply, development, manufacturing, outsourcing and commercialisation of technology and e-commerce arrangements. This work spans traditional information technology, telecommunications and digital platforms, as well as emerging technologies such as AI, big data analytics and machine learning, IoT technology and blockchain-powered solutions.

Liz is skilled in assisting her clients in relation to compliance with legal and regulatory requirements applicable to technology, including intellectual property law, privacy law and applicable financial services regulation such as BS11. She regularly works with companies in the technology and financial services sectors, but also advises consumers of technology products and services across a wide range of industries.

Liz was named TMT lawyer of the year at the 2020 Asia Pacific Women in Business Law Awards and was named Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year at the 2019 NZ Law Awards. She is ranked as a Next Generation Partner in Legal500 for Technology, Media & Telecommunications, Up-and-Coming in Chambers for Technology, Media & Telecommunications, recommended in Chambers for Data Protection and Intellectual Property and was named a 2020 Rising Star by NZ Lawyer Magazine. Liz is also ranked in Doyles' 2020 guide as a recommended lawyer for Telecommunications, Media & Technology.

Publications:

Building a Kiwi Data Economy - Minister to invite feedback
Blockchain and privacy – is encryption the solution?
Retail re-imagined – 3 key issues in the new world of Omnichannel
Retail re-imagined – BAUnusual
NZ Lawyer TV: Liz shares her thoughts on the risks that could blindside organisations
Technology Start-ups: A Practical Guide
New Zealand – a technology start-up's dream?
Cybersecurity as an enterprise-wide business risk
How to successfully deploy new tech
The legal issues surrounding emerging tech
Emerging tech HR should be aware of

Experience

Technology, Intellectual Property, Privacy and e-commerce

advising a large New Zealand bank in relation to its ongoing BS11 compliance program, including with respect to the renegotiation of intra-group and third party IT outsourcing arrangements.
advising Asia Pacific Healthcare Group, New Zealand's largest provider of pathology services, on the separation and replacement of its IT systems following its sale to NZ Super Fund and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
advising digital will platform provider, Footprint, on its landmark partnership with Aon in relation to a first-of-its-kind subscription-based digital will service covering up to 70,000 Aon members and employees.
advising New Zealand’s largest locally owned life insurer, Fidelity Life Assurance Company, on their strategic partnership with Datacom as part of Fidelity Life’s $25 million technology transformation project.
advising Counties Power on its partnership with WEL Networks to develop New Zealand's first end-to-end e-mobility software platform, OpenLoop.
advising Fonterra on the 2020 outsourcing of their global IT infrastructure requirements to HCL.
advising Auckland International Airport on its partnering arrangements with Vision-Box in relation to the introduction of biometric eGates.
advising Fidelity Life on the development of a health and wellbeing app.
advising a large blockchain-based mobile data trading platform on the establishment of its New Zealand operations and associated eSIM product offering.
advising Trustpower on the development, roll out and launch of its retail mobile service arrangements in partnership with Spark.
assisting several large New Zealand organisations in connection with cyberattack responses and the exercise of rights under supplier contracts in connection with the same.
advising a New Zealand technology company in connection with the development of a Covid-19 contact tracing app.
advising one of the world's largest global P2P platform providers on its on-shoring into New Zealand, including associated contracting arrangements with enterprise customers.
advising a large New Zealand electricity generation company in relation to the supply of network services to corporate and wholesale customers.
advising a large New Zealand financial services software provider on the outsourcing of its IT infrastructure requirements to Datacom on an "as a service" basis.
advising some of the world's largest technology companies in relation to the supply of technology products and services into New Zealand.
advising a large New Zealand online retailer on the acquisition of an online shopping platform and associated intellectual property rights.
assisting a New Zealand shipping company on the procurement of infrastructure, software, logistics management and website services, including advising in connection with a pre-existing transitional arrangement.
advising multiple software and e-commerce clients in relation to the establishment of their e-commerce platforms, website terms and conditions, terms of sale and privacy policies.

Financial Services and FinTech

advising a large New Zealand bank on the roll out of an end-to-end digital lending platform.
advising an Australasian bank on the development of open API technology in connection with their open banking program.
advising several large New Zealand banks in connection with the re-negotiation of several group-wide IT procurement arrangements for the purposes of BS11 compliance.
advising an Australasian bank in relation to a partnership with a FinTech lending platform for commercialisation in New Zealand.
advising one of the world's largest food ordering and delivery software platform companies on the restructuring of its delivery model, including associated contracting arrangements
advising a large Australasian bank in connection with the development of its various proprietary apps and related service offerings in compliance with New Zealand law.
advising a large New Zealand bank with respect to the procurement of an e-commerce payment solution for transaction switching services.
representing one of the largest UK multinational banking and financial services groups on global procurement of various IT, innovation and business processing services, including consultancy, help desk, IT vendor management, end user processing, innovation lab and application development, support and maintenance services.
advising Northern Trust, a leading multinational wealth and asset manager, on the supply-back of transfer agency and fund accounting services and transitional service arrangements in connection with its acquisition of UBS' Fund Administration businesses in Switzerland and Luxembourg.
assisting Northern Trust in respect of the supply of financial middle and back office platform services (including transfer agency, fund accounting and investment operations services) to various different pension fund and financial services clients.

Credentials

LLB(Hons), BCom, University of Auckland

Professional

Liz is admitted to practise in New Zealand.

Prior to joining Russell McVeagh, Liz was a senior associate at Milbank, based in London, during which time she also attended Harvard Law School’s executive education programme. She was an associate based in Ashurst LLP's London office previously.

Liz is a member of the Artifical Intelligence Forum of New Zealand.