Jennifer Campbell

Senior Associate Pouarataki Pāhake

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Jennifer advises businesses on major property transactions. She specialises in complex leasing and development work, hotel management and investment, foreign investment in property, infrastructure projects in the energy sector, and forestry investments.

With more than 15 years’ experience in the commercial property sector, Jennifer has expert knowledge of commercial leases. Her wealth of experience includes assisting businesses with major office relocations. She has recently advised and negotiated lease terms for several tenants moving into Auckland’s pre-eminent mixed-use CBD development, Commercial Bay. Always responsive, Jennifer helps clients work through the intricacies of commercial leasing to achieve the commercial outcomes they seek.

Jennifer is also experienced in advising on large-scale industrial developments and leasing, having worked with leading brands in the food and health sectors. She has helped clients negotiate terms for new, purpose-built warehousing and logistics sites and long-term leases, and assisted with due diligence.

Jennifer’s property experience includes the hotel, energy, and forestry sectors. She has a deep knowledge of hotel management and investment arrangements. She helps her clients to understand and negotiate the complex contracts involved in these arrangements and to understand their legal obligations. Within the energy and forestry sectors, Jennifer works on major projects involving land (or forestry right) acquisitions/disposals, subdivisions, due diligence, and financing.

Where deals include foreign investment in sensitive land, Jennifer helps clients navigate the complex overseas investment legislation and apply to the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) for consent to the transaction.

As a stalwart of the real estate division of MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Jennifer routinely leads project teams to deliver legal services cost-efficiently and on time. Clients value her ability to communicate clearly and provide commercially astute advice. She also makes a significant contribution to training, mentoring, and generally supporting junior lawyers. This enhances the depth, quality, and client service offering of the team and is an important aspect of the team’s revered culture.

Jennifer is a dual-qualified lawyer. Prior to joining MinterEllisonRuddWatts in 2010, she practised in the UK at Shoosmiths and, before that, at Lewis Silkin. Jennifer has also worked as in-house counsel in a global property business, while on secondment.

Career highlights

Acting for a world leader in specialised dairy products on a transaction to build new purpose-built cool and dry stores. The deal was structured as a land purchase and build by an investor, who would grant a long-term exclusive lease to the client.

Assisting Nelson Forests with its Crown Forestry Licences and Forestry Rights where the Crown is returning the underlying land to iwi pursuant to claims settlement legislation.

Acting for several large professional services firms on relocation to the prominent new Commercial Bay development in Auckland's CBD. These high-value leasing transactions included acting for the anchor tenant, PwC.

Acting on the negotiation for the development and lease of a major new warehouse for the expansion of a leading nutrition products business. This complex negotiation was carried out over many months and the deal was subject to approval from the Overseas Investment Office.

Advising a hotel owner-operator on the terms of several hotel management agreements to appoint an international brand to manage the hotels. Advising a hotel owner-operator on the terms of several hotel management agreements to appoint an international brand to manage the hotels.

Advising a large national retailer on negotiations for a new long-term lease of its central distribution warehouse. The large industrial premises are owned by an institutional landlord and are a key site for the retailer’s operations.

Acting for a large corporate tenant relocating from its existing office premises to a brand-new office development by Mansons on Fanshawe Street in Auckland’s CBD. This deal was negotiated at pace and included negotiating an early end to the client’s liabilities under its existing lease.

Achievements and recognition
  • Tier 1 team, Real Estate, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific