26 November 2025
Spencer Jones
[FYI request #32534 email]
Kia ora Spencer
Your Official Information Act request, reference: GOV-044064
Thank you for your email of 29 October 2025, asking for the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following **aggregated and anonymised** information
about ACC’s expenditure on **external legal services** used in **dispute, review, or litigation processes**
(e.g., ICRA, Fairway, District/High Court) for **2023/24 and 2024/25 only**:
Part 1 – GL Account Codes & Categories (Metadata only)
Please provide:
1. A list of **GL account codes and descriptions** used in ACC’s finance/ERP system to record **external
legal services** related to **reviews, appeals, or litigation** in 2023/24 and 2024/25.
- Example format:
GL Code | Description
720100 | External Legal – Reviews & Appeals
720200 | Litigation Counsel – Court Matters
2. Any **Cost Centre, Project, or Program codes** commonly associated with **ICRA**, **Fairway**, or
**Court appeals** (names only—no spend data).
3. A brief **data dictionary** (if held) defining key fields (e.g., “Matter Type”, “Forum”) used in legal spend
tracking.
*Format:* CSV or PDF table
*Why feasible:* This is static reference data, not transactional. ACC has released similar coding structures
in prior OIAs (e.g., FYI #19876 – provider payment codes).
Part 2 – Aggregated Spend by Forum (Two Years Only)
Please provide **total annual spend** (NZD, **including GST**) on **external legal services** for
dispute/litigation matters, broken down by **forum**, for **2023/24 and 2024/25**:
| Financial Year | ICRA | Fairway | District Court | High Court | Other Tribunals | **Total** |
|----------------|------|---------|----------------|------------|------------------|-----------|
| 2023/24 | | | | | | |
| 2024/25 | | | | | | |
*Notes:*
- Aggregates only—no supplier names, invoices, or claim numbers.
- Use the same GL filters as in Part 1.
- If “Other Tribunals” is not tracked, combine into “Other” or note as N/A.
- If 2024/25 is incomplete, provide YTD and note cut-off date.
*Format:* CSV or PDF table
*Why feasible:* ACC produces financial reporting for levy setting and annual accounts. High-level forum
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aggregates are likely available via canned reports or simple queries (per s17 OIA).
Part 3 – Top 5 External Legal Suppliers by Total Spend (Aggregated, Two Years)
For **2023/24 and 2024/25 combined**, please provide **total paid** (NZD, **including GST**) to the **top 5
external legal suppliers** (by value) for dispute/litigation work:
| Rank | Supplier Legal Name | Total Paid (2023/24 + 2024/25) |
|------|---------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1 | | |
| 2 | | |
| ... | | |
Response to Part 1 Please find attached a table of GL codes and analysis codes, including their descriptions in Appendix 1.
We note, ACC only uses one code to track ICRA and Fairway spend. We refer to page 2 of Appendix 1.
Response to Part 2 Appendix 2 contains external counsel litigation spend for appeals and reviews, along with spend details
for ICRA and Fairway, covering the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2025.
Response to Part 3
Top 5 External Legal Suppliers
Total spend for FY 2024 and FY 2025
Medico Law Limited
$ 1,954,643.46
Young Hunter Lawyers
$ 662,017.30
Izard Weston
$ 558,450.06
Russell McVeagh
$ 464,174.62
Fletcher Vautier Moore
$ 397,463.10
If you have any questions about this response, please get in touch
You can email me at
[email address]. If you are not happy with this response, you can also contact the Ombudsman via
[email address] or by phoning 0800 802 602. Information about how to make a
complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. Ngā mihi
Christopher Johnston
Manager Official Information Act Services Government Engagement
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