
Daniel French
Partner
- Daniel French
- Partner
- Christchurch
- Property | Retail | Hotels | Cross Border Investments | Tourism
Daniel provides a rare blend of technical proficiency, commercial realism, and responsiveness.
Daniel advises on property deals, development projects, unit titles, subdivisions and commercial leasing.
He is an Accredited Specialist of the Property Law Section of the New Zealand Law Society, and is currently the Treasurer and on the Executive Committee of the Property Law Section. Daniel is also on the NZLS Property Transactions Committee.


Awards
- Daniel is listed as a 'Recommended Lawyer' in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Legal 500 Asia Pacific guides.
Experience
- Advising NewUrbanGroup on the development and leasing of "Manawa", a health research and education facility building, constructed in the Health Precinct.
- Advising Gold Band Finance on the mortgagee sale of a troubled subdivision at Yaldhurst Road, Christchurch.
- Acting for the developer on the construction, leasing and sale of Duncan Cotterill Plaza in Victoria Street, Christchurch.
- Acting for a large scale land developer on its subdivisions and sales.
- Advising NewUrbanGroup on its Lintrathen Gardens and Cranmer Gardens residential unit title developments.
- Advising owners facing acquisition of fee simple and leasehold estates under the Public Works Act and Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act.
- Advising the Trinity Development Alliance on its project management of projects in Christchurch and Queenstown, including negotiating associated construction contracts and consultancy agreements with architects and engineers.
- Acting for numerous body corporates and owner groups in several unit title developments on body corporate administration issues and disputes flowing from the Canterbury earthquakes.
- Acting for financiers (or their receivers) on the mortgagee/receivership sale of various distressed property assets, including hotels, factories, and subdivisions.
- Acting on the mortgagee sale of the Whisper Creek Golf Resort.
- Acting for the developer of the Commonage Close luxury villas in Queenstown, in relation to the construction, unit title subdivision, sale of completed villas, management arrangements, and fractional ownership structure.
- Acting for Carlin in relation to its Styx Mill Country Club and Riverside Reserve subdivisions.
- Advising various fashion retail chains on national leasing matters.
- As an appointee to the LINZ External Technical Working Group, Daniel also assisted with the finalisation of secondary legislation and standards following the introduction of the new Land Transfer Act 2017
Credentials
- LLB, University of Canterbury
Admitted
- 1996
Professional Associations
- Accredited Specialist within the Property Law Section of New Zealand Law Society.
- Executive Committee, and the Treasurer, for the Property Law Section.
- Member of NZLS Property Transactions Committee.