On the couch - with Nick Mason and Mike McMellon

Mike McMellon and Nick Mason have recently established the  law firm Mason McMellon. Despite their law firm being new, Nick  and Mike have been working in Nelson for many years. They are  experts in the fields of employment and immigration law, with  Nick a current board member of New Zealand Association of  Migration and Investment and Mike one previously. They talk to  the Nelson Magazine about these two important fields of law. 

Employment matters can cause considerable stress  in workplaces. What do you advise employers to  do to keep these to the minimum? 

Employment related matters are a perennial concern  for business owners who must ensure compliance with  ever-changing regulation while recruiting and retaining  a skilled, productive workforce and, on occasion, exit an  employee from the business. Time spent ensuring those  matters are properly addressed is time well spent and  critical for the health of one’s business. 

It is much more cost-effective for employers to have  a fence at the top of the cliff than an ambulance  at the bottom. That sometimes involves the early  identification of fair, pragmatic, cost-effective options  for the speedy resolution of employment disputes.  When things can’t be resolved quickly, employers  need to get help with mediation run by MBIE, or  representation in the Employment Relations Authority  and in the Employment Court. These processes are  unfamiliar to most people and it is beneficial to offload  responsibility and worry of the process to experts. 

Immigration issues affect a lot of people in New  Zealand. Who needs assistance with the processes  required to be successful in their applications? Immigration Law affects many people both within  and outside New Zealand. Employers wanting to  employ migrant workers, migrant workers and  

their families, migrant investors and entrepreneurs,  migrant partners of New Zealanders and international  students, must ensure they all have their aspirations  approved by Immigration New Zealand.  

Engaging with Immigration New Zealand is at best  bureaucratic and at worst confusing, frustrating and,  sometimes, heartbreaking. Complications can quickly  arise if people go it alone and get it wrong. Doing  things the right way from the start makes a massive  difference to the outcome. The diverse range of  visa categories can be confusing to the uninitiated.  Applicants need to understand all the potential  pitfalls along with knowing exactly what information  to provide. 

What do you enjoy about your roles? 

We both really enjoy doing what we do. Law is a  service industry and we love helping people. There  is no better feeling than knowing we’ve achieved  the best possible outcome for clients. It is hugely  satisfying to be able to use our expertise to solve  problems in both the employment and immigration  fields and to help take the stress away from what  might have become difficult circumstances.