Federated Farmers

Managing Partner | Tavendale and Partners

Mark is the founding Partner of national law firm Tavendale and Partners and a well-respected figure in the agricultural industry with extensive business and community connections.

A trusted advisor and confidante to both families and enterprises within the sector, Mark acts for some of the largest farming operations in the country. He sits on a number of boards of Agri companies and has been the architect of the Family Office for many families with agricultural interests in Aotearoa.

Known for his strategic acumen, Mark excels at helping clients achieve ambitious commercial and personal goals amidst complex family dynamics. Never afraid of ‘pulling the band-aid off’ he has navigated many a family through the intricate process of succession planning, ensuring that the necessary structures are in place to preserve wealth and foster unity across generations.

Mark is also highly acclaimed for his expertise in resolving acrimonious and high-net worth relationship property matters, particularly those entangled with nuanced family dynamics, including blended families, and regularly works with other litigators and professional advisors.

Advisor | Tavendale and Partners

Guy grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Mangamahu Valley, 40kms inland from Whanganui. Despite attempts to move away from agriculture the pull of the industry has been too strong, and he is now fully entrenched.

In the last 10 years he has run the family farm, worked in ANZ’s high risk Agri team, and is now with Tavendale and Partners as an advisor with a focus on assisting their agricultural clients with financing and strategy. His genuine understanding of the full gambit of the farming spectrum, and the challenges that all parties face when working towards a fair outcome, makes him a highly valued party in any conversation.

Partner | Russell McVeagh

Alex is a general commercial litigator who specialises in restructuring, insolvency and special situations.

Alex has experience advising in distressed situations across the capital structure, including advising corporates, sponsors, financial institutions and other stakeholders on restructurings, structuring and enforcement, stressed and distressed refinancings and insolvencies. Alex also acts for insolvency practitioners in formal appointments such as receiverships, voluntary administrations and liquidations. He has particular experience in the retail, hospitality, construction and aviation sectors and has advised in respect of a number of listed-company restructurings and insolvencies.

Alex's disputes practice focuses on complex commercial disputes. In particular, he has contentious and advisory expertise in shareholder disputes, mergers and acquisitions disputes and disputes arising in the context of company failures.

Alex previously spent a number of years working in London for Allen & Overy's Global Restructuring Group, where he advised on a number of high-profile cross-border and domestic matters, before returning to Russell McVeagh in late 2021.

Alex joined the Russell McVeagh partnership in 2023.

Peter has over 45 years’ experience in rural and agricultural businesses and the issues that affect them. This includes business advice, farm accounting and taxation, family succession, leasing, dispute resolution, share milking contracts and the formation of farming businesses. For the last eight years Peter has become more involved in dispute resolution and mediation and working with banks and farmers to help resolve solvency and liquidity issues.

Since the passing of the Farm Debt Mediation Act 2019 Peter has been party to many mediations under the Act as either a consultant or mediator and feels that this forum is providing a positive mechanism for addressing farm debt.

James Law has been Head of Lending Services at ANZ since 2014 leading ANZ’s workout team. He joined ANZ in 2004 and has performed a number of roles within the Risk team since then. Prior to joining ANZ James was a qualified accounting worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers in NZ and for 10 years in Hong Kong, half of which was in the Business Recovery team. ANZ has been very supportive of the introduction and implementation of the Farm Debt Mediation scheme.