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Director

Clive Cousins

When the decision is significant, the deal is complex, or the stakes are ones you can't afford to get wrong, this is who you want in your corner.

Founder of Canterbury Legal and a long-serving director of private and publicly listed companies across New Zealand and Australia, Clive brings to every engagement something that can’t be taught and rarely found: the hard-won judgement of someone who has seen almost everything, and knows exactly what to do about it.

He entered practice in 1977. Since then, markets have shifted, regulations multiplied and economic cycles have tested even the best-prepared. What Clive has taken from all of it is a clarity of thinking that cuts through complexity and gets to what actually matters: the risk worth worrying about, the structure worth building, the decision worth making with confidence.

His practice centres on property, trusts, asset protection and business structuring. But the real value isn’t the technical expertise, it’s the strategic instinct behind it. Clive doesn’t just document decisions. He’s been helping shape them for nearly five decades.

Business owners, property investors and families across New Zealand bring him their highest-stakes challenges, whether it’s major developments, succession planning, asset protection, or restructuring, knowing they’ll receive counsel that is direct, considered and built around their long-term interests. Not what they want to hear. What they need to know.

A member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand and a proud supporter of the Canterbury community, Clive believes the same principles apply in law as in life: stay connected, think long-term, and back the people around you to succeed.

Canterbury Legal was built on straight talk and long-term relationships. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve found the right person.  

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Christchurch-Based Lawyers | Serving Canterbury & New Zealand

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We're in your corner.

Clear, strategic legal advice for property, business, personal planning and dispute resolution across Christchurch and Canterbury.

Christchurch Office

Canterbury Legal Building
Level 2, Durham Street South
Christchurch Central 8011

New Zealand

Office Hours

Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm

Parking & Access

Client parking nearby.

Wheelchair accessible building.

Contact

Phone: +64 3 377 0792

Personal

Wills & Estate Planning

Enduring Powers of Attorney

Family Trusts & Asset Protection

Relationship Property & Separation

Estate Administration

View all Personal Law services →

Property & Investments

First-Home Buyers

Residential Property Transactions

Commercial Property

Subdivisions & Developments

EQC & Insurance Claims

View all Property Law services →

Business & Organisations

Commercial Contracts

Business Sales & Purchases

Intellectual Property

Incorporated Societies

View all BUSINESS services →

Disputes & Litigation

Civil & Commercial Disputes

Employment Disputes

Insolvency & Creditor Matters

Insurance Disputes

View all LITIGATION services →

Canterbury Legal is a Christchurch-based law firm providing legal services in property law, business and commercial law, personal legal planning, trusts, estates, incorporated societies, and dispute resolution throughout Canterbury and New Zealand.

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