Anchali Anandanayagam

Practice Areas

Anchali is an expert in all legal aspects of tech, media and telecommunications (TMT). Over the last 20 years Anchali has advised both public and private sector customers and their suppliers alike on corporate and commercial transactions where TMT assets and infrastructure are at the core. Notably, Anchali has significant expertise and experience in subsea and terrestrial telecommunications cable infrastructure, privacy, and data protection, and in technology and content development and commercialisation.

Anchali has received global recognition for her work and expertise from internationally renowned legal directories, Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and Media Law International. Her open and measured approach means that she is often sought out by clients to work on complex transactions and to represent them in difficult negotiations.

Tuned into this industry with her proactive external interests and board memberships, Anchali has a comprehensive understanding of the market, and can therefore respond to her clients’ needs from an informed position.

Career

Hudson Gavin Martin | 2012

Pacific Fibre Limited | 2010 - 2012

Simmonds Stewart | 2008 - 2010

Linklaters LLP (UK) | 2006 - 2007

Bell Gully | 2002 - 2006

Professional Memberships

Anchali is an advocate of purpose driven organisations and sits on the board of Women in Film and Television (WIFT) New Zealand, an organisation that works to support growth and sustainability in the screen industries with a particular emphasis on equal opportunity and participation for women.

Anchali was also awarded the Emerging Director Award by the New Zealand Institute of Directors (Auckland) in 2022, recognised as a NZ Lawyer Elite Woman of 2023 and identified in the Legal 500 as a TMT Next Generation Partner 2024.

Personal

Anchali helps businesses with technology, media, and telecommunications transactions. From capacity and dark fibre procurement, data protection, technology implementation to content production, Anchali advises public and private customers and their suppliers alike on technology, media and telecommunications products and services. 

Chambers and Partners say Anchali is "an experienced lawyer with amazing technical skills," but also is "a relationship builder" who "can deal with people at all levels" both within and between organisations, an attribute which, one interviewee notes, means "there's a real benefit having her on our side."

Clients

Key clients include: Foodstuffs North Island, Aotearoa Towers Group, One NZ, Deloitte, Cogent Communications, Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand, the New Zealand Writer’s Guild, and a number of media companies including South Pacific Pictures (one of New Zealand’s most well know production companies).

Industry Sector Expertise

Data & Privacy, Telco Regulatory, Commercial & Procurement, Emerging Tech, FMCG, Film, Media & TV, Artificial Intelligence & Biometrics

Awards