Steve O’Connor
Partner - Tumuaki
LLB (Auckland) BA (Australian National University)
Contact
sbco@lcc.co.nz
+64 4 472 1043
+64 27 283 3441
Steve is an experienced civil and criminal litigator with particular expertise in criminal and regulatory enforcement litigation, and public law. In addition to prosecuting serious crime, Steve advises and represents government departments and regulatory bodies such as Oranga Tamariki, the SPCA, the Financial Markets Authority, NZ Police, the Department of Corrections, and MBIE.
Steve has acted on major class action litigation and private prosecutions. He has been involved in public commissions of inquiry including the UK Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. He has previously acted and provided advice in respect of professional disciplinary investigations, regulatory enforcement action by the FMA, Electricity Authority and UK-based regulators such as the Charity Commission and The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual).
Before joining LCC Steve worked at the office of the Auckland Crown Solicitor for two periods totaling five years. In between those periods Steve worked in the United Kingdom for the Financial Conduct Authority’s Enforcement and Market Oversight team, and conducted judicial review proceedings on behalf of the UK Home Secretary in respect of human rights, asylum seekers, and victims of trafficking claims.
Recent and notable work:
Regulatory:
Acting as second counsel in an eight week High Court trial in a complex fraud prosecution brought by the Financial Markets Authority: R v Robertson [2020] NZCA 218.
Forming part of the FCA legal team investigating serious allegations of a large investment firm breaching fund mandates (Henderson Investment Funds Limited, 2017).
Advising clients responding to regulatory investigations brought by the UK Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, and the UK Charity Commission (2016-17).
Public:
Acting as counsel to faith-based respondents in response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care (2021-present).
Leading the British Council’s preparatory response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA, formerly known as the ‘Goddard Inquiry’), the largest statutory inquiry in English and Welsh history (2016).
General criminal:
Appearing as second counsel in three murder trials in the High Court, 2014, 2015 (R v Fahey [2015] NZHC 78) and 2021 (R v Simeon [2021] NZHC 1371).
Classified by Crown Law as intermediate prosecutor in 2016. Over 400 appearances in the District and High Courts of New Zealand as Crown counsel in jury and judge-alone trials, bail, sentencing and pre-trial hearings.
Appearing as sole/lead counsel in numerous jury trials and Youth Court judge-alone trials involving serious violence and sexual crime.