We partner with our clients to identify and manage risk, build robust strategies, and achieve clear goals
Criminal and Enforcement
As the office of the Wellington Crown Solicitor, we are leaders in all aspects of criminal law and enforcement
We are responsible for prosecuting all serious crime throughout the Wellington region, and have some of the leading litigators in the country
We provide a full range of criminal and regulatory enforcement services for public sector agencies throughout New Zealand
Our services include:
Serious Fraud Office prosecutions
Health and safety enforcement for all major health and safety regulators
Civil regulatory enforcement, including pecuniary penalty proceedings for financial regulators
Regional and local authority prosecutions and related enforcement work in the District Court, Environment Court and appellate courts
Recent and notable cases:
Acting for the Reserve Bank in its first proceeding under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009.
Counsel in precedent-setting health and safety cases on sentencing, reparation and reckless conduct.
Prosecution of Sir Ngatata Love for serious fraud.
Prosecution of the directors of Lombard Finance following its collapse.
Prosecution of the joint venture developer of the Transmission Gully motorway for environmental offending.
Civil and Commercial Litigation
We act in major civil and commercial litigation for both public and private sector clients
Our services include:
Large contractual disputes
Liquidations and receiverships
Major tort claims
Property disputes
Recent and notable cases:
Successfully representing an electricity distributor in a precedent-setting tort case claiming losses arising from damage to assets from a nearby commercial forest.
Acting for the liquidators of a major property group seeking damages from directors and auditors, including successful defence of the litigation funding arrangement up to the Supreme Court.
Securing damages in the Court of Appeal against a reluctant vendor that failed to settle the sale of a $25 million development property transaction.
Professional Discipline
We act for many professional disciplinary organisations across a range of sectors
Our services include:
Reviewing investigations and providing advice on decisions to charge
Drafting charges and supporting evidence
Appearing for the prosecution at hearings
Advising and appearing on appeals to the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal
Reviewing professional bodies’ internal and external policies and procedures
Advising professional disciplinary tribunals on legal issues
Recent and notable cases:
Acting for the Law Society in high-profile proceedings against a former partner of a national law firm who engaged in inappropriate behavior with staff.
Appointed by the Attorney-General to present allegations to the Judicial Conduct Panel against a former Supreme Court Judge.
Representing the Medical Council up to the Court of Appeal on the matter of an Auckland doctor who committed indecent acts in public.
Public Law Litigation
We advise clients on significant public law and human rights issues
Our services include:
Defending judicial reviews and administrative law appeals at all levels, up to and including the Supreme Court
Advising and appearing on human rights and Bill of Rights cases, including large scale proceedings seeking declarations and compensation
Recent and notable cases:
Representing a Crown Entity on a judicial review of its advice to the Minister.
Representing the Attorney-General in a proceeding seeking to clarify the scope of the End of Life Choice Act 2019 prior to it coming into force.
Counsel for the Auckland Medical Officer of Health in the Court of Appeal concerning the Auckland provisional local alcohol policy.
Defending a judicial review challenging a national professional body’s process for handling complaints.
Representing the Registrar of Companies on complex director prohibitions, including an appeal involving the legal effect of statutory management .
Advice and Investigations
We partner with public sector clients on prosecutorial functions, investigations and procedure
Our services include:
Advice on powers, procedures and functions, including recommended legislative changes
Advising and assisting with investigations
Recent and notable cases:
Assisting the Chief Inspector of Corrections on investigations, including the ‘fight club’ report into the privately run Mount Eden Corrections Facility.
Advising a Crown entity on major legislative reform of its regulatory functions and powers including advice on legislative drafting and representation before a Parliamentary Select Committee.
Environment and Climate Change
We advise and act for public sector agencies, including regional and local authorities, on matters of environmental and climate change law that impact our communities
Our services include:
Advice and representation on all issues concerning compliance, monitoring and enforcement, and regulatory obligations, under the Resource Management Act, Local Government Acts and related legislation
Prosecution, litigation and alternative dispute resolution on enforcement matters in the District, Environment and appellate Courts, including for injunctive relief
Judicial review proceedings in the High Court, including on climate change matters
Recent and notable cases:
Defending a judicial review brought against the Climate Change Commission’s advice to central government.
Acting for a regional authority in the prosecution of the operator of the Porirua Waste Water Treatment Plant for environmental offending.
Acting for a regional authority in the prosecution of the joint venture developer of the Transmission Gully motorway for environmental offending.
Acting for a regional authority in prosecution and enforcement order proceedings concerning natural wetlands under the Government’s Essential Freshwater Package.
Acting for a Crown Entity in the prosecution of a refinery for discharges of a hazardous substance and contaminant under the Resource Management Act and Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi -Treaty of Waitangi
We frequently deal with Te Tiriti/Treaty issues during the course of our work advising and acting for public sector agencies. Our team includes lawyers with specialist experience in responding to Te Tiriti/Treaty claims
Our services include:
Advising public sector agencies on compliance with Te Tiriti/Treaty obligations.
Representating public sector agencies in cases involving allegations of breaches of Te Tiriti/Treaty obligations.
Recent and notable cases:
Acting for Te Whatu Ora in judicial review proceedings alleging a community pharmacy contract was unlawfully granted due to a breach of Te Tiriti/Treaty obligations.
Providing ongoing advice to a Crown entity regarding compliance with its Te Tiriti/Treaty obligations.
Local Government
We advise and act for local government organisations on a wide range of matters, including enforcement and judicial review proceedings, and general advice on obligations, powers, procedures, and functions.
Our services include:
Representation and advice on issues relating to the Resource Management Act (including numerous prosecutions), Local Government Acts and related legislation.
Representation in the District, Environment and appellate Courts.
Representation in judicial review and administrative appeal proceedings
Representation and advice on a wide range of day-to-day issues including commercial disputes, building compliance, dog control, rates, health and safety, human rights, public health, transport, alcohol licensing, privacy and official information, strategic reviews, legislative reform, investigations and organisational improvement.
Recent and notable cases:
Acting for a regional authority in the prosecution of:
Operators of plant and machinery for discharges to marine environments and air.
Farming operators for the discharge of effluent.
Not-for-profit entities for offending in the course of hosting club/recreational events.
Officers and entities involved in large-scale forestry harvesting.
Defending local government clients in judicial review proceedings relating to the exercise of powers under the Dog Control Act and the Resource Management Act.
Acting for a local authority together with central government agencies in securing for vesting orders in respect of contaminated land that had been disclaimed by liquidators.
Coronial Work
We advise and represent a broad range of public sector clients involved in Coronial Inquiries and regularly appear as counsel at inquest hearings.
Our services include:
Advising our clients as to their rights and obligations under the Coroner’s Act 2006 and associated legislation
Preparing evidence and responding to directions and notices issued by Coroners
Appearing at complex and high profile inquest hearings both as counsel for interested parties and as counsel advising the Coroner
Recent and notable cases:
Acting as counsel assisting the Coroner and representing an interested party in a series of inquests arising out of homicides committed by insane offenders
Acting in a coronial inquest involving two suicides in a mental health facility
Acting as counsel assisting Coroners in transport accident inquests, including Fox Glacier skydiving tragedy
Representing a government department in a high profile coronial inquest following the death of a person in connection with the Covid-19 Pzifer vaccine
Representing the Department of Corrections on inquests relating to prisons under private operation