Richard May
Chair, Partner - Tumuaki

BA LLB (Hons) (Victoria)

Contact
rsm@lcc.co.nz
+64 4 471 5726

 
Richard May

Richard represents clients on a broad range of public and commercial law issues. His clients include both public and private sector entities. Richard has particular expertise in contract and insolvency disputes, regulatory enforcement, competition law, and judicial review proceedings.

Before joining Luke Cunningham Clere Richard worked for a major international law firm in Australia, having begun his career at a large New Zealand firm. In 2010 he was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship to work with barristers at leading commercial chambers in London.

Recent and notable work:

Regulatory enforcement

  • Counsel for the Reserve Bank in its first proceeding against a registered bank under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009: Reserve Bank v TSB Bank Ltd [2021] NZHC 2241.

  • Acting for the Electricity Authority on proceedings before the Rulings Panel for breaches of the Electricity Industry Participation Code.

  • Injuncting an Indian company passing itself off as a New Zealand government entity as part of a visa scam: Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment v Swastik Solution Ltd [2015] NZHC 1913.

Commercial disputes

  • Counsel for a lines company securing damages in the tort of nuisance for damage to lines: Unison Networks Ltd v Nottingham Forest Trustee Ltd [2021] NZCA 227.

  • Counsel for the Crown on a major procurement-related contract dispute.

  • Acting against a vendor that attempted to avoid settlement of a sale of development land worth $25m: Official Assignee v Kingston [2016] NZCA 415.

  • Acting for a retirement fund in a mediation over tax losses incurred due to negligent advice.

  • Acting for a mining company in a dispute involving non-payment of an advisor’s fee following a restructure (New South Wales).

  • Acting for an oil and gas company in a dispute involving the removal of a joint venture operator (Western Australia).

Public law and judicial review

  • Counsel for the Electricity Authority on an appeal of pricing error and undesirable trading situation decisions arising out of a national scarcity situation: Haast Energy Trading Ltd v Electricity Authority [2024] NZHC 195.

  • Junior counsel (presenting oral submissions) for the Commerce Commission on an appeal of its input methodology decisions relating to the depreciation of pipeline assets due to climate policy risk: Major Gas Users’ Group Inc v Commerce Commission [2024] NZHC 959.

  • Counsel for the Financial Markets Authority on appeal of a decision revoking the registration of a financial service provider: FXBTG Financial Ltd v Financial Markets Authority [2019] NZHC 2775.

  • Counsel for the Registrar of Companies on a director prohibition appeal concerning the legal effect of the statutory management of a failed property group: Brand v Registrar of Companies [2018] NZHC 3148.

Advice and investigations

  • Advising a local council on a threatened judicial review of its long term plan.

  • Advising the Chief Inspector of Corrections on a report into ‘fight clubs’ at Mount Eden prison, successfully defended on judicial review: Serco v Chief Inspector of Corrections [2016] NZHC 1859.

Insolvency

  • Acting for a litigation-funded liquidator in the Supreme Court on a defendant’s challenge to the funding arrangements: PricewaterhouseCoopers v Walker [2018] 1 NZLR 735.

  • Counsel for the Registrar of Companies appointing interim liquidators to various failed entities including a charitable trust and an incorporated society.

  • Counsel for the Official Assignee on a summary judgment relating to trust assets: Official Assignee v Wheeler [2015] NZHC 1644.

  • Counsel for a district council securing vesting orders for disclaimed land and other assets affected by industrial contamination: Timaru District Council v The Crown [2016] NZHC 2170.