Welcome to Thomas Gibbons Law

Thomas is a specialist property and resource management lawyer, dealing with complex issues in subdivisions, unit titles, land development, and infrastructure. 

He is often called upon to provide expert opinions for other lawyers, and has given expert evidence in the High Court on a number of occasions.  

Thomas works with a range of clients, including developers, local authorities, landowners, body corporates, iwi and hapū groups, and many others.  He is known for combining a high level of technical knowledge with practical and strategic advice. Thomas has qualifications in law and resource management.  

You can see more about Thomas’ expertise and publications on this website.

About Thomas

Thomas has over 17 years of legal experience.  He began his career in a large national firm in 2001.  He became a Partner of a mid-size firm in 2008, and spent 12 years as Partner/Director before commencing practice as Thomas Gibbons Law in 2020.
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QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bachelor of Laws with Honours
  • Master of Laws
  • Bachelor of Social Sciences
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Planning

Highlights

Thomas has lectured in property law and unit titles for the University of Waikato, Auckland University of Technology, and the Waikato Institute of Technology.  He has also lectured in securities law and governance in the Waikato MBA programme.
  • AUTHOR OF:​
    • Unit Titles Law & Practice (1st ed 2011, 2nd ed, 2015).
    • A Practical Guide to the Land Transfer Act (2017)
  • Expert evidence on land development/unit titles relied on by the High Court in Newhaven Waldorf Management Ltd v Allen [2015] NZHC 2770 and Body Corporate 162791 v Gilbert [2016] NZHC 2404.
  • CO-AUTHOR OF:
    • Principles of Land Law (3rd ed, 2020)
    • McMorland and Gibbons on Unit Titles and Cross Leases (1st ed, 2014, 2nd ed, 2019)
    • Laws of New Zealand: Land Law (1st reissue, 2015)
    • Laws of New Zealand: Easements, Covenants, and Profits (1st reissue, 2009, 2nd reissue, 2016)

Trusted Specialist in Property and Resource Management​

SERVICES:
  • Property law
  • Resource management
  • Unit titles
  • Land development
  • Public works
  • Infrastructure contracts​​
  • Local government
  • Easements and covenants
  • Development agreements
  • Governance
  • Securities law
  • Technical land law issues

News and Community

​​Thomas has a strong involvement in the community. Some of his governance roles and professional memberships are outlined below.

​GOVERNANCE
  • Board member, Survey & Spatial New Zealand
  • Member, Waikato Regional Housing Initiative
  • Trustee, Waikato Community Lands Trust
  • Former trustee, Aberdeen School
  • Trustee, Waikato Diocesan School for Girls
  • Former trustee and chair, Vibrant Hamilton Trust
  • Former President and Vice-President, Property Council NZ, Waikato Branch
  • Executive committee, Strata Community Association New Zealand
  • Former national councillor, Property Council New Zealand
  • Former member, New Zealand Law Society, Property Transactions Committee
  • Executive committee, Property Council New Zealand, Waikato Branch
  • Former member, Waikato Regional Council Catchment Liaison Subcommittee
MEMBERSHIPS
  • New Zealand Law Society
  • Strata Community Association New Zealand
  • Australian College of Strata Lawyers
  • Property Council New Zealand
  • Resource Management Law Association
  • Law & Economics Association of New Zealand

Publications and Presentations 

​​Thomas is known as a prolific legal writer, and his legal commentary has been cited in the Environment Court, District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court.  

He has published articles and delivered conference papers in New Zealand and around the world, including for the International Journal of Law in the Built Environment (UK), the Australian Property Law Journal, the Building and Construction Law Journal, the Property Law Review (Australia), the New Zealand Law Journal, Otago Law Review, New Zealand Universities Law Review, the Resource Management Journal, Planning Quarterly, and the Waikato Law Review.

He has presented at conferences at Griffith University and Deakin University in Australia, as well as for the Australian College of Strata Lawyers, Strata Community Association, Property Council New Zealand, the Auckland District Law Society, Survey & Spatial New Zealand, the Resource Management Law Association, and the New Zealand Law Society.

Some of his key publications are as follows:
PROPERTY LAW
  • Author, A Practical Guide to the Land Transfer Act (2017).
  • Presentation, The New Agreement for Sale and Purchase: Practical Points, New Zealand Law Society, 2020.
  • Co-author of:
    • Principles of Land Law (3rd ed, 2020).
    • Laws of New Zealand: Land Law (1st reissue, 2015).
    • Laws of New Zealand: Easements, Covenants, and Profits (1st reissue, 2009, 2nd reissue, 2016).
    • Adams’ Land Transfer (looseleaf).
  • Article, “Section 339 of the Property Law Act: A tragedy of the commonly-owned?”, Waikato Law Review, 2017.
  • Book Chapter, Land Titles in the Digital Age: New Horizons for Torrens (2020).
​UNIT TITLES
  • Author, Unit Titles Law & Practice (1st ed 2011, 2nd ed, 2015).
  • Co-author, McMorland and Gibbons on Unit Titles and Cross Leases (1st ed, 2014, 2nd ed, 2019)
  • Article, “Body Corporate Fundamental(ism)s”, New Zealand Law Journal, 2020.
  • Presentation, Unit Titles as the Law of Buildings, Australian College of Strata Lawyers’ Conference, 2020.
  • Chair of:
    • Unit Titles Conference, New Zealand Law Society, 2013 and 2015.
    • Unit Titles and Body Corporates Conference, Auckland District Law Society, 2018 and 2019.
​RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
  • Presentation, Property Law Tools with Subdivisions, Resource Management Law Association, 2020.
  • Chair of Subdivisions Conference, New Zealand Law Society, 2018.
  • Presentation, Planning for Intensification, Deakin Strata Law Forum, 2020.
  • Article, “The Constitution of Local Government”, New Zealand Law Journal, 2018.
  • Article, “Developments in development contributions”, New Zealand Law Journal, 2016.
  • Article, “The Legal Architecture of Urban Design”, Planning Quarterly, 2017.
  • Article, “Property Rights in Resource Consents”, New Zealand Universities Law Review, 2012.
OTHER
  • Co -author:
    • Financial Markets Conduct Act: A Practitioners Guide (2014).
    • Equity: Trusts and Wills (4th ed, 2014)
    • Morison’s Securities Law (looseleaf)

Upcoming Events

Thomas will chair and present at the Auckland District Law Society – Strata Community Association Unit Titles and Body Corporates Conference in November 2020.

Thomas writes a regular column on property law issues for LawTalk.  Some of his recent articles are below:

Contact

​Thomas works primarily in the ‘golden triangle’ of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.  He also deals with clients all around New Zealand.  He can be contacted as follows:
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Phone: 021 675 091 
Email: [email protected]
           [email protected]
Office Address:
​Panama Square, 14 Garden Place, Hamilton

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