I provide advice and advocacy in cases relating to professional negligence, and related areas such as disciplinary proceedings before administrative tribunals, the courts’ wasted costs jurisdiction, and costs revisions and reviews. Some examples include:
- acting for a barrister in defending a High Court proceeding brought against that barrister by a former client claiming damages for negligent advice;
- acting for a firm of auditors in defending a High Court negligence proceeding brought by the liquidators of RSL;
- acting for a plaintiff in a High Court proceeding against a firm of naval architects and structural engineers for damages for negligent design;
- representing the New Zealand Bar Association as intervenor in a test case relating to barristers’ immunity. This case went to the Supreme Court;
- acting for a barrister challenging a wasted costs order made against her by the High Court. This test case went to the Privy Council, and the order was set aside;
- acting for a barrister in disciplinary proceedings before the New Zealand Law Practitioners’ Disciplinary Tribunal;
- acting for a retired senior medical specialist against whom disciplinary charges were brought following the Cartwright Report, including issuing a High Court proceeding seeking an order staying the charges;
- acting for a barrister in defending an application to the High Court to review a decision of a Registrar confirming a costs revision by a Law Society committee.
I have also acted in a range of tort disputes, including defending claims asserting novel duties of care.