Set up a holding company with clearer ownership and governance

Businesses often look at a holding company structure when they want ownership of trading entities held in one place rather than personally or through a single operating company. That can come up when founders are separating valuable assets from day-to-day trading risk, preparing for investment, adding new ventures, or tidying up an existing group. The legal work is not just about registering another company. It also involves making sure the ownership and governance documents line up with the structure you are actually trying to create and how the group will operate.

The process usually starts with confirming the intended structure, including who will own the holding company, what subsidiaries or assets sit beneath it, and whether this is a fresh setup or part of a restructure. From there, the legal work may include incorporation paperwork, a constitution, shareholder and director resolutions, and practical implementation documents. If an existing business is being moved into a new structure, sequencing matters. For example, ownership changes, internal approvals and related documents may need to happen in a sensible order rather than all at once.

We generally need details about the proposed owners, directors, the role the holding company will play in the group, and whether there are already trading companies or assets in place. It is also helpful to know if outside investors, co-founders or family ownership arrangements are involved, because that can affect the governance approach. If this is part of a restructure, we may need to review the current setup first. The clearer the intended ownership map is at the start, the smoother the document and filing stage tends to be.

Yes, in many cases this service can assist where the goal is to shift from a single-company setup to a group structure. The work often depends on what already exists, who currently owns the trading business, and whether contracts, assets or shares need to be moved or reorganised. That means the legal steps can be more involved than a brand-new incorporation. We can review the current arrangement, identify the main documents likely to be needed, and explain whether the restructure fits within this service or needs a broader scope.

Yes. Some parts of the process depend on external systems and decisions, such as incorporation processing and any information that must be supplied to complete registrations. If your wider restructure involves banks, accountants, investors or counterparties, their timing can also affect the overall sequence.

Scope note: regulator requirements, approval timeframes and supporting steps can vary. The fixed-fee covers the stated legal work, not promise outcomes. If third-party requirements become a major part of the matter, we can explain what we can handle and what may need separate support.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Holding Company Set Up service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.