Classements par PratiqueNew Zealand Bar

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Commercial Disputes

Bankside Chambers
Mills Lane Chambers
Shortland Chambers
Stout Street Chambers
Thorndon Chambers

Leading Barristers-sole

1
Sebastian Bisley – Thorndon Chambers
Kevin Glover – Shortland Chambers ‘Kevin is an exceptional advocate and great to work with. He provides clear and pragmatic advice, both written and verbal.'
Daniel Kalderimis – Thorndon Chambers
Tiho Mijatov – Stout Street Chambers ‘First-rate advocacy, legal analysis, mastery of facts, and communication skills. Tiho is an exceptional lawyer who is destined for the inner Bar.’
Jonathan Orpin-Dowell – Stout Street Chambers  'Jonathan’s talented advocacy and frankly extraordinary work ethic means he is my first choice for any complex commercial dispute.’
Rebecca Rose – Bankside Chambers ‘No weaknesses. One of the best legal minds in New Zealand.'
Tim Smith – Thorndon Chambers
Jack Wass – Stout Street Chambers ‘Jack is a multi-talented advocate who punches well above his years in practice. He has a wide range of law at his fingertips, a good strategic sense, can produce outstanding written work quickly, and is a confident advocate on his feet. No question he is a leader of the bar or bench in the making.’
2
Monique van Alphen Fyfe – Stout Street Chambers ‘Monique is a bright and principled advocate with real backbone.’
Paul Chisnall – Stout Street Chambers ‘Paul is a very decisive and efficient litigator who is well-regarded by the judiciary at all levels. He has a very good instinct for what is right and ethical and for how a strategy will be perceived by the court. His advocacy skills are excellent.’
David Friar – Mills Lane Chambers 'David is a very through detail-oriented person. His ability to understand technical building blocks and methods of repair are impressive.'
Ian Gordon – Stout Street Chambers 'Ian has exceptional technical understanding of the key legal issues and an ability to communicate these simply.'
Matthew Harris – Shortland Chambers ‘Matthew is a superbly well balanced advocate, both in the courtroom and in less formal settings. He brings a rare combination of intelligence, empathy and hard work to his briefs.’
Isaac Hikaka– Mills Lane Chambers ‘Isaac is a leading advocate, one of the very best in Court. He is extremely intelligent, and has excellent judgment. He will nail the key points in a case. He is a worthy, outstanding advocate.’
Jeremy Johnson – Bankside Chambers ‘Jeremy is a very good advocate – he is an eloquent speaker, and his oral submissions are very persuasive.’
Anna Kirk – Bankside Chambers ‘Anna is a superb advocate. She has a total command of her specialist subject and is able to use this knowledge to great effect in relation to all aspects of arbitration work. She has an excellent tactical approach to the dispute in question and is able to use interlocutory applications to great effect for the benefit of her clients.’
Mike Lennard – Stout Street Chambers ‘Mike demonstrates an unparalleled understanding of tax law, consistently delivering sound, strategic advice. His extensive knowledge spans across various legal disciplines, making him a versatile and highly effective tax barrister.’
Lauren Lindsay – Bankside Chambers ‘Lauren is a ferocious advocate who will fight strongly for her clients and put their best case forward. Combined with her razor sharp analytical skills and her deep experience in both commercial and investment treaty arbitration, Lauren is a formidable force and a joy to work with.’
Michael Morrison – Bankside Chambers ‘Michael is an exceptional advocate for his clients. He is analytical, considered and strong in his advocacy. He is someone you want on your team in a challenging dispute.’
Polly Pope  - Bankside Chambers 'Polly is a very strong advocate, with a hard working, lateral thinking and courageous approach. She is very versatile and dynamic.'
Gareth Richards – Stout Street Chambers ‘Gareth is highly intelligent, thoughtful and effective in his work. He has an effective advocacy style and is well respected by judges for the quality of his court room work. ’
Mark Sandelin – Mills Lane Chambers
Morgan Slyfield – Stout Street Chambers
Samantha Turner – Stout Street Chambers 'Having her in our corner provides a great sense of comfort. She’s a fierce advocate, while expertly guiding us through a complex and sensitive situation.’
Esther Watt – Stout Street Chambers 'She has the ability to grasp difficult legal issues and commercial issues in a unique way, and then to deliver submissions on complex matters which are understandable and thoroughly researched and on point. She is a great advocate.’
Bridgette White – Bankside Chambers ‘Bridgette is a great communicator. She has tremendous people skills and strong litigation instincts. She is in demand at the junior bar which reflects the esteem in which she is held.’

Leading Silks

1
Mike Colson KC – Stout Street Chambers ‘His knowledge of very technical rules around aspects of discovery and legal privilege is impressive.’
Jack Hodder KC – Thorndon Chambers
Stephen Hunter KC – Shortland Chambers ‘He is impressive in managing strategically difficult matters. He is always across the detail and has a superb intellect. He is one of the leading KCs of his generation and a go to barrister for regulatory matters.’
Justin Smith KC – Stout Street Chambers ‘Smith’s advice is always well considered and sound. He has a good understanding of the law and his legal submissions are always well researched and drafted.' 
2
Greg Blanchard KC – Shortland Chambers
Andrew Stephen Butler KC – Mills Lane Chambers 'Andrew is one of the, if not the, leading commercial silks in New Zealand. He is a fearless and compelling advocate, has encyclopedic knowledge of the law, great client skills and is excellent to work with. His trial and appellate advocacy is second to none. No obvious weaknesses.’
Jenny Cooper KC – Shortland Chambers
James Every-Palmer KC – Stout Street Chambers ‘His intellectual and analytical skills place him at the top end of his profession. He combines this with a deep understanding of both the law and the commercial and regulatory environments within which his clients operate. His advocacy is highly regarded.'
Simon Foote KC – Bankside Chambers ‘Simon is a very experienced advocate. His cross examination skills are first rate.’
Jason Goodall KC – Bankside Chambers ‘Jason is one of the top silks for commercial and insolvency matters. He is sought after for his strategic and commercial approach to disputes. He is also very skilled at negotiation, including where the parties and the dynamics are particularly challenging, to get to a result.’
Davey Salmon KC – Mills Lane Chambers ‘Davey has top level analytical skills and his advocacy in difficult factual cases is second to none. His cross examination is deadly, and his engaging oral advocacy is famous.’

2024 Silks

Wendy Aldred KC – Stout Street Chambers ‘Wendy always demonstrates crystal clear analysis of legal issues coupled with a practical and proportionate way of finding solutions. She is a very effective and fearless advocate.’
Sarah Armstrong KC  – Shortland Chambers ‘Sarah is an impressive litigator with established reputation in commercial, financial services and securities disputes.'
Zane Kennedy KC – Mills Lane Chambers ‘An outstanding advocate. He has excellent knowledge of the commercial details and intricacies of the dispute.’
Tim Stephens KC – Stout Street Chambers ‘Tim is very bright. He is a powerful black-letter lawyer. He has good advocacy skills. ’
Robert Stewart KC – Shortland Chambers ‘Robert has an exceptional ability to set things out for clients in a way they will understand. Rarely have instructing solicitors seen anyone deal with clients in such a clear and thoughtful manner. He is strategically excellent and a pleasure to deal with.’
Nura Taefi KC – Shortland Chambers ‘She is analytical, thoughtful, commercially pragmatic and an excellent advocate at all levels of law courts.’

Commercial disputes in New Zealand Bar

Bankside Chambers

Bankside Chambers has a highly skilled set of litigators, arbitrators and mediators that regularly appears before all New Zealand courts and tribunals, including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, in a broad range of domestic disputes, and that also has extensive experience with cross-border litigation. Commercial lawyer Simon Foote KC is uniquely skilled in domestic and international arbitrations, and Jason Goodall KC is sought after for his expertise in class action lawsuits, and recently acted for the liquidators of CBL Corporation in two shareholder class actions brought by the Financial Markets Authority. Rebecca Rose is a general litigator with expertise in complex trusts, and as a highlight appeared in the precedent setting Addleman & Lambie Trustee Ltd & Others. Jeremy Johnson is a seasoned barrister in areas such as trusts, equity, relationship property and company, and commercial law, and Anna Kirk is also notable in the arbitration world. Lauren Lindsay is a commercial disputes lawyer with niche capabilities in the insurance industry, and was recently lead counsel for No Money No Honey trust in a claim against insurers arising out of alleged defective repairs following the Christchurch earthquakes. January 2024 saw former Russell McVeagh  partnership chair Polly Pope  join chambers.

Les références

‘The set, as a collective, demonstrates significant experience and expertise. There is a broad range of expertise across various levels of seniority, ensuring that clients have access to highly capable counsel for both complex and routine matters. The availability of counsel is also a notable asset, with the set providing excellent responsiveness and a flexible approach to client needs. Their ability to consistently field a strong team across a variety of cases is a key strength, especially in more time-sensitive or high-pressure situations.’

‘Bankside Chambers is the up-and-coming chambers in New Zealand, boosting several of the next generation of KCs in New Zealand. They cover a diverse range of practice areas.’

‘Bankside Chambers is one of the top couple of sets in the country based on number of barristers, practice areas and quality.’

Principaux dossiers


Mills Lane Chambers

Mills Lane Chambers has extensive experience in the full spectrum of complex commercial litigation. In a recent highlight, Davey Salmon KC is leading the claim of alleged contribution to climate change in Smith v Fonterra against seven of the largest emitters and fossil fuel suppliers in New Zealand. Andrew Stephen Butler KC is a reputed trust practitioner and recently appeared for the trustees in Cooper v Pinney, a highly consequential decision on the law of trusts, whilst newly appointed silk Zane Kennedy KC successfully represented the Mainzeal’s liquidators in Yan v Mainzeal in a high profile case concerning director duties in the context of insolvencies and liquidation. Joining the set in April 2024 from Bell Gully , David Friar is highly experienced in complex commercial and insurance cases, and especially in class action law suits. Other key lawyers include Isaac Hikaka who has an international practice with a particular focus on New Zealand and the Pacific Islands and regularly acts in cases with a cross-border element, and Mark Sandelin who specialises in complex relationship property and trust litigation.

Les références

‘The set has been up and coming and now very strong. Some recent senior counsel appointments and new joiners have increased their standing significantly.’

‘Mills Lane Chambers is a growing chambers and gathering a great reputation for younger, progressively minded and flexible barristers. This makes the members a pleasure to work with and easy for clients to relate to. If I went to the Bar, that would be where I would want to go.Excellent Chambers, with many leading barristers.’

‘Mills Lane has rapidly developed into one of the leading sets. Great breadth and depth of talent at all levels.’

Principaux dossiers


Shortland Chambers

Shortland Chambers is particularly revered for its work in the fields of civil and commercial disputes, and the set also has specialist knowledge in areas including regulatory, criminal, resource management and intellectual property law. Sarah Armstrong KC, Robert Stewart KC and Nura Taefi KC are all new Silk appointments in 2024. Other key silks include Greg Blanchard KC and Jenny Cooper KC, as well as Stephen Hunter KC who is an expert in class action cases, demonstrated by recently defending ANZ Bank of New Zealand Limited in the high profile consumer class action known as the ‘Banking Class Action’. The set also includes Kevin Glover who specialises in IP disputes, and who recently acted for the LEGO Group in the case ZURU New Zealand Limited v Lego Juris A/S that deals with novel areas of trade mark law, and Matthew Harris who appeared on behalf of the claimants in the high-profile multinational fraud case Kea Investments v Wikeley Family Trustees Ltd.

Les références

Shortland Chambers are the pre-eminent civil/commercial chambers in New Zealand, having the most KCs and dept of expertise.

Shortland Chambers is the top commercial set. It has the greatest consistency of quality of people, analysis, big litigation and high value transactional advisory work.

Shortland Chambers are the premier New Zealand commercial set, they have far great depth and expertise than other commercial sets.

Principaux dossiers


Stout Street Chambers

The barristers at Stout Street Chambers draw from a diverse pool of expertise across the full range of civil and commercial litigation matters. Mike Colson KC specialises in insolvency, energy, property and contractual disputes, whilst Justin Smith KC and Jack Wass recently acted in the complex cross-border fraud proceeding Kea Investments Ltd v Wikeley in the High Court and Court of Appeal. The set also regularly appears in environmental cases, with sector experts such as Ian Gordon and Morgan Slyfield, and James Every-Palmer KC notably led Monique van Alphen Fyfe in Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand v Minister of Climate Change. The set also includes Tiho Mijatov who is an expert in human rights, Samantha Turner has niche capabilities in employment and health and safety, and Jonathan Orpin-Dowell who appeared in CNI Iwi Holdings in proceedings concerning complex Treaty of Waitangi settlements. Wendy Aldred KC and Tim Stephens KC are 2024 Silk appointments.

Les références

Stout Street Chambers is a distinguished set of barristers based in Wellington, New Zealand. It is known for its high-caliber legal professionals who specialize in a wide range of legal areas, including tax, commercial law, public law, criminal law, and family law. The barristers have extensive experience and are often sought after for complex and high-profile cases. The chambers have a strong reputation for legal excellence and are highly regarded within the legal community. In addition to their legal work, many barristers at Stout Street Chambers are actively involved in community service and legal education. They contribute to various initiatives aimed at improving access to justice and advancing the legal profession.

Stout Street is an excellent set with expertise covering all commercial and public law disputes bases. They are unusual in having a strong group of intermediate-level and junior barristers coming through below the top ranks, which plays well in the Wellington market.

Stout Street Chambers is my Chambers of choice for Commercial disputes.

Principaux dossiers