Hannah Thomas

Senior Associate Pouarataki Pāhake

she/her

Hannah is an experienced transactional construction and infrastructure lawyer advising a wide range of public and private sector clients, including developers/owners, funders, contractors, and government agencies.

Hannah provides strategic advice about commercial and construction issues throughout a project lifecycle. She advises on the full suite of tender and project documentation including New Zealand and international standards and bespoke documentation. Hannah has extensive experience drafting and negotiating a range of construction documents, including building contracts, consultancy contracts, development agreements, and ancillary documents such as bonds and guarantees.

She has international experience, and has recently returned to New Zealand from London, where she worked for five years in the construction team at DLA Piper LLP. Through her work in London, Hannah has gained invaluable experience in the delivery of large-scale and complex projects, including commercial, office, hotel, student accommodation, residential, mixed-use, and urban regeneration developments.

Known for being affable and down-to-earth, Hannah seeks to build strong and ongoing relationships with her clients and understand their business. One client describes her as “very approachable and professional” – The Legal 500 UK 2020. Hannah is a trusted and reliable adviser. Clients value her pragmatic guidance and advice on complex construction projects.

Hannah began her career as a construction disputes lawyer involved in project disputes both during and after the construction phase, including those relating to variations, extensions of time and delay, payment issues, risk allocation, non-compliant works, and negligence. She uses this disputes experience to help her clients identify and minimise key risk issues that may arise throughout a project lifecycle.

Career highlights

cting for both Te Whatu Ora - Te Toka Tumai Auckland (formerly Auckland DHB) and Te Whatu Ora - Taranaki (formerly Taranaki DHB) on their respective core development programmes – ‘FIRP’ and ‘Maunga Stage 2’ respectively.

Assisting Rau Paenga (formerly Ōtākaro) with the construction documentation for its $34 billion earthquake rebuild Anchor Projects in Christchurch.

Advising the developer of the Wembley Park regeneration in London on construction contracts for the development, financing, and construction of various phases of an 85 acre regeneration scheme at Wembley, London, compromising over 8 million sqft of mixed-use development to provide 7,000 new homes, retail, leisure, office, and parkland.

Advising a leading property investment management company in the United Kingdom on the construction documentation for its purchase of a recently built Travelodge Hotel in Newcastle, and as forward funder for two new build hotels in Manchester and Newcastle.

Advising WeWork on the construction documentation and the construction obligations in the agreements for lease for its co-working and office space across the United Kingdom.

Advising a London-based property developer specialising in progressive, sustainable housing in Central and Greater London on various mixed-use urban regeneration developments, including projects in Blackwall Yard, Ilford, Colliers Wood, and Lambeth.

Advising a developer on a 480,000 sqft mixed use development in central London to provide modern grade A office accommodation and prime retail offering.

Affiliations
  • Member, Society of Construction Law New Zealand
Achievements and recognition
  • Tier 1 team, Construction, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific
  • Band 1 team, Construction, Chambers Asia-Pacific