James Cowan

James Cowan is a Partner in Anderson Lloyd’s employment team, specialising in workplace law and disputes. He advises employers across the full range of workplace legal issues, including workplace investigations, health and safety, restraint of trade, statutory compliance, disciplinary and performance matters, restructuring, privacy, protected disclosures (whistleblowing), and regulatory investigations.

James has specialist expertise in conducting and advising on workplace investigations, including those involving allegations of fraud, conflicts of interest, bullying, harassment, and corruption. James regularly helps organisations navigate the complexities of receiving and responding to protected disclosures. James is frequently engaged to either conduct investigations or to provide strategic advice to organisations managing sensitive or contentious matters. He commonly advises on privacy and information disclosure obligations arising in the workplace and investigation context.

Before joining Anderson Lloyd in 2018, James spent six years working in Auckland, first at a large commercial law firm and later at a Big 4 professional services firm in a specialist forensic and employee investigations role.

James studied at the University of Otago, completing a Bachelor of Laws in 2011 and a Bachelor of Arts in 2012 (majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics). He was admitted to the bar in 2013.

James is the current Vice‑President of the New Zealand Law Society Otago Branch Council and a former Convenor of the Otago Employment Law Committee.

Publications

• Anderson Lloyd Webinar: Key Updates in Employment Law
• We are delighted to announce the promotion of James Cowan to Partner
• Two key changes to the Employment Relations Amendment Bill
• Ethical issues arising in employment litigation
• Working from home: ‘Flexibility regret’ vs long-term arrangements
• Return-to-office policies under the spotlight again
• ACT’s trifecta of Christmas gifts for employers
• Revised Act giving extra protection to whistleblowers
• New privacy rules when collecting information from third parties will impact employers
• New gateway test to be introduced for determining whether a worker is a contractor or employee
• Can the fair and reasonable employer please e tū?
• WorkSafe charges Whangārei Boys High School Board over student death
• Worksafe’s brother bother
• Whakaari Management Limited convicted of charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
• Fair Pay Agreement Dashboard
• Mistaken payments and employment
• Vaccination exemptions—no easy out for unvaccinated employees
• Legal opinion: employers can require shot
• COVID-19 Contact Record Rules for Businesses
• Scanning or signing in to become mandatory – some privacy implications
• Restraints of trade—”not worth the paper they are written on”?
• NZ Uber drivers contractors not employees
• Employee vs. Contractor—can you really put a label on it?
• Privacy law: The top five changes affecting employers
• Employee investigations: choose your investigator wisely
• Employee vs. Contractor – can you really put a label on it?
• Anderson Lloyd represents Otago Polytechnic in New Zealand’s first judgment ordering a court-ordered enforceable undertaking