Richard Best Law and Legal Tech Consulting
Richard Best Law is a legal practice based in Wellington, New Zealand, specialising in government and commercial contracting, privacy, public law, and technology law, including open data and open source software licensing.
RB Legal Tech Consulting is a consulting practice specialising in supporting and building legal tech solutions, from websites through to document automation and productised legal services.
Interwoven Law
In addition to running my own practice and consultancy, I’m a member of the Interwoven Law alliance and have been since its inception in 2012. Interwoven Law is an alliance of lawyers from separate legal practices who have come together to share resources and expertise and better serve clients. As a group, we have deep levels of experience across our main practice areas – public law, procurement and contracting, and technology law – and the capacity to gear up for projects of almost any size.
Curriculum vitae
QUICK PROFILE
I’ve been practising law since 1996, in Wellington (1996-1999), London (1999-2001), Germany (2001-2005) and then Wellington again (2006-present). I frequently work at the intersection of law and technology, often with a public law overlay, and I’ve been building websites and online tools since 2004.
CONTACT
Richard Best Law
Wellington
New Zealand
Email: richard@richardbestlaw.com
Mobile: 021 927 291
PROFESSIONAL
Barrister and Solicitor of High Court of New Zealand
Solicitor of England and Wales
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours), 1995
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Criminology), 1995
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
EXPERIENCE
Member of Interwoven Law alliance, 2012 to present
I have been a member of the Interwoven Law alliance since its inception in 2012. Interwoven Law is an alliance of lawyers from separate legal practices who have come together to share resources and experience and better serve clients. In 2017, for the second iteration of the All-of-Government External Legal Services Panel, all members of the Interwoven Law alliance decided to put in a consortium bid. We succeeded in gaining a place on the panel. That meant there was no longer a need for Genevieve and I to retain our Best + Hancock brand (discussed below), so we dispensed with it. Interwoven Law was also awarded a place on the third iteration of the All-of-Government External Legal Services Panel, in June 2024.
Member of Best + Hancock | Sole Practitioners, 2012-2017
Genevieve Hancock and I formed a consortium in 2012 and bid as that consortium for a place on the first All-of-Government External Legal Services Panel. We succeeded and kept that brand in place during the 6 year period of that first panel. During this period we were also members of the Interwoven Law alliance, mentioned above.
Sole Practitioner, Wellington, 2012 to present
Following a move into private practice, continued involvement for a wide range of clients across all manner of matters relating to public sector procurement, ICT and other contracting, open data, copyright and licensing, privacy (including involvement with PIAs and AISAs), evolving and new technologies (e.g., IaaS, PaaS and SaaS), and public sector and private sector online services.
Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, July 2009 to December 2011
In-house counsel embedded in Government Technology Services (which transferred from SSC to DIA) and subsequent iterations of it. Continuous involvement in a wide range of technology law issues, public sector procurement, ICT contracting (single, panel, syndicated and common capability supply), privacy law issues and developments, and public law issues.
State Services Commission, Wellington, December 2006 to July 2009
In-house counsel embedded in the All-of-government Authentication Programme and then the wider ICT Branch and Government Technology Services. Involved in a wide range of technology law issues, public sector procurement, ICT contracting (single, panel and syndicated supply), open data and copyright matters (e.g., NZGOAL and IPR Guidelines), privacy law issues and developments, and public law issues.
Commerce Commission, Wellington, 2006
Lead in-house counsel for judicial review proceedings against the Commission arising from the Gas Inquiry.
Ashurst, Frankfurt, Germany, 2001 to 2005
Litigation solicitor. Involved in, among other things, large scale international commercial arbitrations, commercial contracting, and product liability class actions.
Ashurst, London, United Kingdom, 1999 to 2001
Litigation solicitor. Involved in, among other things, large scale commercial contract disputes, professional negligence actions, judicial review proceedings, and international commercial arbitrations.
Bell Gully, Wellington, New Zealand, 1996 to 1999
Litigation lawyer. Involved in, among other things, a wide range of public law and commercial law matters, including Roussel-Uclaf v PHARMAC from High Court to Privy Council.