Our Expertise

R v Harris: Representing the former CFO of CBL Corporation Limited in criminal proceedings brought by the Serious Fraud Office.

FMA continuous disclosure proceedings: Representing the former CFO of CBL Corporation Limited in proceedings brought by the Financial Markets Authority alleging breaches of continuous disclosure obligations

FMA IPO proceedings: Representing the former CFO of CBL Corporation Limited in proceedings brought by the Financial Markets Authority alleging failure to disclose information at the time of the initial public offering of shares in CBL

MPI proceedings: Acting for defendant facing charges laid by MPI under the Animal Products Act 1999

R v P: Acting for client facing charges laid by the Serious Fraud Office. This instruction has included extensive challenges to the powers exercised by the Serious Fraud Office during its investigation

MedSafe: Advising client in respect of compliance including medicinal cannabis regulations and advertising programmes

MedSafe: Advising pharmacists and product manufacturers of advertising requirements and regime as regulated by MedSafe

R v DeMarco: Representing defendant charged with fraud by the Serious Fraud Office relating to the sale of airplanes

FMA v Warminger: Representing defendant in civil proceedings brought by the Financial Markets Authority under the Securities Markets Act 1988 for first defended case involving market manipulation

Import duties: Acting for an importer who had been defrauded by its import agent. This instruction involved negotiating a resolution with New Zealand Customs Service in respect of a demand for unpaid import duties

Nathans Finance: Chris represented two of the directors of Nathans Finance Limited, and Sara separately represented a further director, facing charges laid by the Securities Commission under the Securities Act 1978 relating to distributing offer documents containing untrue statements

Dominion Finance: Acting for directors of Dominion Finance facing charges laid by the Securities Commission under the Securities Act 1978

Bridgecorp Finance: Represented Bridgecorp’s Chief Financial Officer facing charges laid by the Serious Fraud Office

R v Bublitz: Acting for defendant facing multiple charges relating to various property transactions

Acting for beneficiaries of a trust seeking distribution: Acted for adult children of a trust seeking distribution and winding up 10 years following the death of their father (the settlor)

Various: Acting for executors, claimants and beneficiaries on various claims against estates under the Family Protection Act 1955, Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act 1949, Property (Relationships) Act 1976 and/or alleging undue influence and/or lack of capacity

Claim against law firm: Acting for the executors of an estate in respect of a claim against the lawyers who represented the estate in estate litigation

C & R Construction Ltd v Taharoa Ironsands Ltd: Acting for a third party in proceedings where the defendant was alleging the third party breached duties of confidentiality

Coupe v Learmonth: Acting for defendant facing claims by a party to a joint venture agreement

Defamation proceedings: Acting for plaintiff in defamation proceedings alleging the defendant had defamed him in an article by calling him racist

Vintage Aviator v DeMarco: Representing client in civil proceedings relating to charges laid by the Serious Fraud Office relating to the sale of airplanes

Proceedings for civil assault: Acting for a defendant facing a claim for civil assault for alleged rape

Nathans Finance Limited (in Receivership) v Doolan: Chris represented two of the directors of Nathans Finance Limited facing civil proceedings issued by the receivers of the company. Sara separately represented a further director

Smith v Covington: Acting for developer in respect of proceedings brought alleging pre-contractual misrepresentation

Fifer Residential Limited v Knight Coldicutt: Acting for plaintiff alleging negligence against former solicitors

Parkbrook Holdings Ltd (in receivership and in liquidation) v Gould: Acting for plaintiff alleging negligence against former solicitors

J v Legal Complaints Review Officer: Judicial review of decisions made by the National Standards Committee of the New Zealand Law Society and of a decision of the Legal Complaints Review Office in relation to the appointment of an investigator and the exercise of the investigators’ powers

Shand v Legal Complaints Review Officer: Judicial review of decision made by the National Standards Committee of the New Zealand Law Society relating to an order that the practitioner pay an expert’s fee

Defences of charges before the Disciplinary Tribunal: We represent a range of clients facing charges before the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal on a range of alleged professional breaches

Auckland Standards Committee v van der Zanden: Acting for the Auckland Standards Committee in respect of charges laid before the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal alleging the practitioner misled the Court of Appeal

Judicial Conduct Panel complaint: Acting on behalf of a judge in respect of complaints referred to a judicial conduct panel by the judicial conduct commissioner as convened by the Attorney-General pursuant to the Judicial Conduct Panel Act 2004

P v National Standards Committee of the New Zealand Law Society: Acting for the practitioner seeking pre-commencement discovery

Morahan v Auckland Standards Committee 4: Acting for the Auckland Standards Committee in respect of appeals by the practitioner from two decisions of the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal

Auckland Standards Committee 4 v Morahan: Acting for the Auckland Standards Committee in respect of charges laid before the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal alleging the practitioner acted without an instructing solicitor

Peters v Speaker of the House of Representatives: Judicial review of the Speaker’s decision to issue warning to Winston Peters under the Trespass Act 1980 during the 2022 protest at Parliament. The effect of the warning prohibited the applicant from entering Parliament grounds. As a result of the proceedings, the Speaker accepted that the exercise of his powers under the Parliamentary Service Act 2000 was unreasonable and irrational, and declarations that the Speaker had acted unreasonably and irrationally were made by the Court.

J v Legal Complaints Review Officer: Judicial review of decisions made by the National Standards Committee of the New Zealand Law Society and of a decision of the Legal Complaints Review Office in relation to the appointment of an investigator and the exercise of the investigators’ powers

Shand v Legal Complaints Review Officer: Judicial review of decision made by the National Standards Committee of the New Zealand Law Society relating to an order that the practitioner pay an expert’s fee

Aviation proceedings: Representing plaintiff alleging breach of lease of a helicopter

Aviation proceedings: Acting for plaintiff alleging negligence in regular failure to properly carry out regular inspections of a helicopter

Acting in respect of claims made against Civil Aviation Authority by pilot

New Zealand First Party v Director of the Serious Fraud Office: Acting for the New Zealand First Party seeking an injunction to prevent the Director of the Serious Fraud Office from making a media statement about having filed criminal charges against two defendants in the New Zealand First Foundation electoral funding case.

Injunction: Acting for client seeking an urgent injunction to prevent a bank making a payment under a letter of credit where the party seeking payment had committed fraud

Injunction: Acting for plaintiff seeking injunction to enforce restraint of trade by former franchisee

Injunction: Acting for defendants seeking to oppose injunction to enforce restraint of trade by former franchisees

Search orders: Acting for client seeking and obtaining urgent search orders against former employee

Coupe v Remmington: Acting for director opposing leave being sought by a shareholder to bring derivative proceedings in the name of the company against the director

Endeavour Glass Packaging v Fraser: Acting for defendant in respect of claim for breach of s 131 of the Companies Act 1993 and breach of common law duties

Levin v Market Square Trust: Acting for liquidators seeking to recover voidable payments made to a creditor following the liquidation of a company

Mountfort v Tasman Pacific Airlines of NZ Ltd: Acting for defendant opposing application by liquidator of the plaintiff for a pooling order

Re the Building Depot Ltd (in receivership and liquidation)/Agnew v Pardington: Acting for receivers seeking directions from the Court as to where to pay surplus funds

General: Acting for creditors served with voidable transaction notices

Lou Vincent: English Cricket Board Anti-Corruption Tribunal – Acted for 10 years for a cricket player who admitted corrupt activities and received 11 life bans from any involvement in cricket. These bans were successfully and substantially modified following a 2023 application

Acted for professional athletes challenging non-selection for Olympic competitions

Acted for professional athletes facing breaches of doping regulations and/or misconduct allegations in respect of sporting contracts and on-field incidents