In the past 20 years, successive governments have turned New Zealand into a free-market laboratory, decreasing its trade deficit and deregulating its economy. The result? Foreign direct investment is up, over a quarter of New Zealand's domestic output heads overseas, and law firms in Auckland and Wellington queue up to handle a constant flow of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. And that translates into plenty of competition work, meaning competition specialists are fundamental to any serious law firm in New Zealand.