BA LLB (Hons) (Auck) 1994

LLM (Toronto) 1999

Barrister Sole: 2002

Silk: 2017

Andrew is an experienced commercial barrister, appearing in all the primary courts of New Zealand.  He has been counsel in many significant pieces of commercial litigation (see Case History). 

Andrew’s practice covers most areas of commercial dispute, including contract and tort claims, trust litigation, company and shareholder disputes, insolvency (corporate and personal), financial services, construction law, professional liability, land law, disciplinary tribunals and the like. For a summary of some of his more recent instructions see Selected Recent Cases. 

Andrew has lectured law at both the University of Otago and the University of Auckland (see Professional Activities).   He also regularly presents seminars for the New Zealand Law Society and ADLSi (see Publications and Seminars). He is a regular contributor to academic and trade journals (see Publications and Seminars), and is the New Zealand Bar Association’s representative on the Rules Committee.  

Appearances in the High Court, Court of Appeal or Supreme Court or before similar authorities since 2014

• ​Activedocs Ltd v Cadre Investments Ltd [2017] NZSC 91, [2017] NZCA 121 (dividend rights on preference shares). 
• Kawarau Village Holdings Ltd v Sun [2016] NZSC 171, [2016] NZCA 427, [2016] NZHC 3108  (settlement of various sale and purchase agreements).
• Detection Services Ltd & Ors v Pickering & Ors, [2017] NZHC 709 (joint venture dispute). 
• Rapid Metal Developments NZ Ltd v Access One Scaffolding Ltd [2017] NZHC 204 (claim over missing scaffold). 
• NZ Mint v Greys Ave Investments Ltd [2016] NZHC 2165, [2015] NZHC 2828 (right of first refusal in lease).
• Custom Street Hotel Ltd v Plus Construction Ltd [2016] NZHC 3049, [2016] NZHC 2934, [2016] NZHC 2011, [2016] NZHC 1180 (construction dispute, arbitration and appeal). 
• 136 Fanshawe Ltd v Wilson Parking New Zealand Ltd [2016] NZHC 1854 (car park lease valuation, appeal of arbitral award). 
• Maranathana Charitable Trust v Cawthray Motors Ltd [2016] NZHC 1069 (sale and purchase of land).
• Fish Man Ltd (in liq) v Hadfield (2016) 4 NZTR 26-014, [2016] NZAR 1198 (rights to property and priority in bankruptcy).
• Takanini Central Residential Ltd v Terra Group NZ Ltd [2016] NZHC 2179, [2016] NZHC 478 (engineering services on residential subdivision).
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation v Dotcom [2016] NZHC 88, [2015] NZHC 3349 (application to vary freezing orders over assets). 
• Re the estate of S (mediation of various claims under Family Protection Act) (2015).
• Re G; Application to cancel membership of Church (substantive hearing) (2015). 
• Greys Avenue Investments Ltd v NZ Mint Ltd (2015) 22 PRNZ 801(statutory demand).
• Probus South Pacific Inc v Probus NZ Inc (2015) 114 IPR 630 (appeal from decision of Registrar of Companies as to change of name of incorporated society).
• NZ Mint Ltd v Greys Avenue Investments Ltd [2015] NZHC 2051 (application for relief against cancellation of lease).
• White v Hewett (2015) 22 PRNZ 692 (partnership dispute, confidentiality orders/discovery).
• Body Corporate no 338356 v Endean [2014] NZHC 2644 (leaking apartment building).
• Eco Maintenance Ltd v Leighton Contractors PTY Ltd [2014] NZHC 2340 (termination of services contract).
• Endeavour Glass Packaging Ltd v Fraser [2014] NZHC 756, [2014] NZHC 463 (directors duties).
• Mitchell v Griffiths [2014] NZHC 751, [2013] NZHC 1628 (trust dispute).
• Yandina Investments Ltd v ANZ National Bank Ltd [2014] NZSC 28, [2014] 26 NZTC 21-064; (2011) 25 NZTC 20-089, (2011) 25 NZTC 20-079, [2012] 25 NZTC 20-129 (aircraft leases).
• Szembrener v Pepper NZ (Custodians) Ltd [2014] NZHC 324 (mortgagee sale).
• Telco 1 v Telco 2 (arbitration over sale of telecommunications business).
• Various complaints against Church representative ­(hearing of 2 separate complaints against Church Minister) (2014).

• Queens Counsel - 2017
• Barrister - 2002 to present
• Lecturer - Faculty of Law, University of Otago - 1999 to 2001
• Senior Litigation Solicitor - Russell McVeagh (Auckland) - 1994 to 1998
• Clerk to Judges of the New Zealand Court of Appeal - 1995
• Solicitor at Community Law Centre in Mangere (through Russell McVeagh) - 1995 to 1996

Teaching

• Civil Litigation - LLB course - University of Otago - 2008 to 2009
• Civil Procedure - LLB course - University of Otago - 2006
• Tort Law - LLM course - University of Auckland - 2003
• The Law of Torts - LLB course - University of Otago - 2000 to 2002
• Civil Procedure - LLB course - University of Otago - 2001 to 2002
• Property Law - LLB course - University of Otago (tutor) - 2000 to 2002

A selection of Andrew's key cases:

• Acting for shareholders in a major New Zealand software company in a dispute over the terms of a preference share issue. 
• Acting for the purchasers of units in stage 1 of the Hilton Hotel development in Queenstown in a dispute over the enforcement of sale and purchase agreements. 
• Acting for the contractor in a dispute over the construction of the Sofitel Hotel in Auckland. 
• Acting for various significant family trusts in trustee disputes, and subsequent variations to the terms of trust settlements. 
• Acting for the Probus clubs of New Zealand in a dispute over the right to use the Probus name.
• Acting for 3 of New Zealand’s major trading banks in a claim based on the leasing arrangements for a 747 airplane.    
• Acting for the former shareholders in a major New Zealand telecommunications company in an arbitration over the terms of sale of that business. 
• Acting for one of the major trading banks in the litigation over bank fees. 
• Acting for an Australasian construction company in a claim over the construction of the Botany Town Centre.
• Acting for the taxpayer in the structured finance claims brought by the Inland Revenue.
• Acting for the taxpayers in the trial for the “Trinity” tax avoidance arrangements.  

• "Update on Negligent Misstatement", ADLS (2017) (with Marcus Roberts).
• “Tort Law Update”, NZLS CLE Seminar (April 2016) (with Professor Geoff McLay). 
•  “Issues in Unjust Enrichment”, NZLS CLE Seminar (2014). 
• “Advocacy”, presentation to participants in the NZLS mooting contest (2014), (2015).
• "Kembla and the Defendant Summary Judgment: Is the Emperor wearing any clothes?" (2013) NZ Lawyer Issue 204
• “One test to rule them all (and of inferior courts to bind them)” (2012) NZ Lawyer Issue 190.
• “Tort Law”, NZLS CLE Seminar (2013) (with Professor Stephen Todd).
• Chapter on "Permanent Injunctions", in Blanchard ed, Civil Remedies in New Zealand (1st ed) (2003); (2nd ed) (2011).
• Chapter on "Interlocutory Injunctions", in Blanchard ed, Civil Remedies in New Zealand (1st ed) (2003); (2nd ed) (2011).
• “General Principles of Good Advocacy”, ADLS CLE Seminar (2011).
• "Remoteness of damages in tort and contract", in "Current issues in remedies", NZLS CLE Seminar (2010).
• "Economics of Evidence, Procedure and Litigation", (Book review) [2009] NZLJ 330.
• Commentary on papers by Dr A Butler ("What is the least we can expect of a trustee?") and Bill Patterson ("When is a trust a trust?") at the Legal Research Foundation Seminar, "A modern law of trusts" (2009).
• "Update on Tort Law", ADLS CLE Seminar (2008).
• "Damages for a loss of chance in negligence: the availability of an alternative remedy" [2007] NZLJ 151.
• "Update on Tort Law", ADLS CLE Seminar (2006).
• "Damages for the loss of a chance: the availability of an alternative remedy", LexisNexis Commercial Litigation Masterclass (2005).
• "Update on Tort Law: The approach to the duty of care in New Zealand", ADLS CLE Seminar (2003).
• "The duty of care and the search for certainty: Sullivan v Moody, Cooper v Hobart, and problems in the South Pacific" [2003] NZLJ 44.
• "Ideas on the purpose of civil procedure" [2002] New Zealand Law Review 437.
• "Lights in the fog: secondary victims and the recovery for mental injury in New Zealand" (2002) 10 Tort Law Review 1.
• "Divining an approach to the duty of care: the New Zealand Court of Appeal and claims for negligent misstatement" (2001) 10 OLR 91.
• "Causation and Risk in the Law of Torts" (Book review) (2000) 19 NZULR 136.