Resolve Legal is a specialist employment law firm based in Petone, in Wellington's Hutt Valley, built around a simple promise: 'We don't do drama. We do resolution.' The practice is dedicated entirely to New Zealand workplace law, helping people and businesses resolve disputes with minimal fuss — 99% of its matters are settled through negotiation rather than court.
The firm acts for employees, employers and contractors. Employees turn to Resolve Legal for bullying, unjustified dismissal, personal grievances, disciplinary meetings, redundancy, racial and sexual harassment, and good faith disputes. Employers rely on the team to defend personal grievance claims, run fair disciplinary procedures, and navigate redeployment and redundancy, while contractors get advice tailored to their working arrangements.
Principal lawyer Viv d'Or graduated from Waikato University Law School with honours in 2010 and has specialised in employment law ever since, bringing more than 15 years of experience. The results speak plainly: more than $4 million negotiated in grievance settlements and entitlements for clients, and all but one Employment Relations Authority case won — with that one then won on appeal.
Every matter follows a three-step process — Probe, Prepare, Protect — and starts with a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Fees are transparent, with no hidden surprises. Recommended by the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO and praised in client reviews for listening, availability and calm support, Resolve Legal is a genuinely local firm — right down to the office cat some reviewers mention fondly.
Few things in life are as unsettling as trouble at work. A disciplinary meeting invitation lands in your inbox, a redundancy looms, or a relationship with your employer breaks down — and suddenly the job that pays the bills feels like a threat. It's exactly at that point that Resolve Legal, a specialist employment law firm in Petone, Wellington, steps in. Their tagline says it plainly: "We don't do drama. We do resolution. And we are great at it."
Resolve Legal focuses on employment law and nothing else. Principal lawyer Viv d'Or graduated from Waikato University Law School with honours in 2010 and has pursued employment law as a speciality ever since — more than fifteen years dedicated to one field. That depth shows in results: the firm has successfully negotiated more than $4 million in grievance settlements and entitlements for clients, and in the rare cases that reach the Employment Relations Authority, it has won all but one — which was then won on appeal.
The firm's expertise spans the whole spectrum of New Zealand workplace law, and redundancy is a particular strength; as the team puts it, every lawyer at Resolve Legal is familiar with redundancy law. Their work reaches into every corner of the employment relationship, from hiring advice for employers to complex personal grievances.
Resolve Legal acts on both sides of the employment relationship, as well as for contractors. Employees come to them for bullying, unjustified dismissal, personal grievances, disciplinary meetings, redundancy, racial harassment, sexual harassment, and good faith and fair treatment disputes. Employers engage them to defend personal grievance claims, run fair disciplinary procedures, respond to bullying and harassment complaints, and navigate redeployment and redundancy.
That employer-side knowledge benefits employees too: the firm publishes plain-language guides explaining, for example, what good faith means under New Zealand law — that both parties must deal with each other openly, honestly and constructively, that employers must consult before making decisions affecting your job, and that if fairness breaks down, you may have grounds for a personal grievance. Their advice in those situations is practical: keep clear written records, raise the issue directly, and seek advice quickly if the problem continues.
Every matter at Resolve Legal follows the same three-step process. First, Probe: the team establishes the facts, identifies the issue and explains the legal bits, so clients have peace of mind from the beginning of the journey. Second, Prepare: expectations and risks are discussed, evidence evaluated, and an action plan built so clients know what's coming and what to expect. Third, Protect: the team prepares clients for any meetings — such as a disciplinary — and completes the outcome as cleanly and quickly as possible.
Cost is often the biggest worry when hiring a lawyer. Resolve Legal addresses it head-on with a complimentary 15-minute first consultation to identify your issues and outline a clear way forward, followed by transparent fees with no hidden surprises and clear communication about costs from the start.
As for court — in most cases, you won't need it. The firm resolves 99% of matters through negotiation, avoiding the stress and cost of litigation. Where matters do proceed, MBIE mediation is often the next step: a free, confidential process with success rates often exceeding 80% in New Zealand, usually delivering a mutually agreed outcome within six to ten weeks. An ERA case, by contrast, can take nine to fifteen months from start to finish — one reason the firm describes its resolution-focused approach as cheaper, quicker and less stressful for everyone.
Resolve Legal is genuinely local. Based in Petone, its lawyers understand the impact an employment issue can have on your life, and the firm has been publicly recommended by the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO. Google reviews tell a consistent story: clients describe excellent professional service, lawyers who listened to everything they had to say, and an employer client who returned repeatedly for hiring advice and employment issues, noting great advice each time — timely, available, and leading to a positive result. One reviewer summed it up: by far the best employment lawyer in the Hutt Valley. Others simply mention the supportive atmosphere — and, delightfully, the office cat, which one client called an added bonus.
Whether you're an employee who doesn't know where you stand, an employer wanting to get a process right, or a contractor with a question about your arrangement, the starting point is the same: a free, no-pressure 15-minute conversation. In a field where drama is common, Resolve Legal has built its reputation on the opposite — calm, clear, resolution-focused employment law.