• 1987-1989 BCom (Accounting) – Auckland University
• 1988-1991 LLB (Hons) – Auckland University
• 1994-1995 LLM (First) – Cambridge University
• 1994-1996 MJur (Distinction) Auckland University
• 1990-2000 BA (English/Economics) – Auckland University
• 2001-2002 BA (Hons) (English) – Auckland University
• 2012-2013 PGDip A (Philosophy) – Auckland University

• Admission to the Hong Kong Bar (June 2020)
• Silk (June 2016)
• Barrister Sole (December 2010 – present)
  • Circa 26 trials and 53 Court of Appeal cases at the Bar since December 2010
• Russell McVeagh – Associate (January 2008 – December 2010)
  • Commercial litigation/employment and health safety
  • Main clients/cases: ANZNB (conduit tax litigation with Lindsay McKay); Todd (joint venture dispute and Commerce Act claims with Jim Farmer QC); Greymouth Gas Kaimira Ltd and others v GXL Royalties Ltd; Vector (input methodologies consultation process with Alan Galbraith QC); Icepak (health and safety prosecution); Norske Skog (asbestosis claim); Super Air (two Coroner’s Inquiries into aviation deaths); Momentum Consulting (New Zealand Defence Force Court of Inquiry into the employment of Stephen Wilce)
• Gordon Pilditch (October 2007 – December 2007)
  • Criminal jury trials in the District Court and High Court
• Meredith Connell – Associate (February 2003 – September 2007)
  • In excess of 120 criminal criminal jury trials in the District Court and High Court
  • In excess of 30 criminal appeals in the Court of Appeal (on secondment to Crown Law, August to December 2006)
• Russell McVeagh – Associate (November 2000 – February 2003)
  • Commercial litigation/employment
  • Main clients/cases: Fonterra and others (Commerce Act price fixing); Norske Skog (commercial dispute over bonus scheme)
• Russell McVeagh – Senior solicitor (May 1996 – October 1998)
  • Commercial litigation/employment
  • Main cases: Tegel (commercial dispute over supply contract); DuPont (product liability); Westpac (professional negligence); New Zealand Refining Company (Commerce Act predatory pricing)
• Simpson Grierson – Associate (February 1996 – May 1996)
  • Commercial litigation
  • Main clients/cases: TVNZ (defamation)
• Simpson Grierson – Solicitor (February 1992 – September 1004)
  • Commercial litigation
  • Main clients/cases: TVNZ (defamation); GD Searle (product liability); Tasman Pulp and Paper (dispute over long term forestry contracts)
• Admission (May 1992)

Commercial/Civil litigation

• Summer Pioneer Holdings Limited v HNA Group (International) Company Limited HCA 488/2021 (USD 357 claim under guarantee)
• Perpetual Trust Limited (as administrator of Estate of Alexander Gavin Brown) v Kobe Investments Limited HCA 1353/2021 (disputed estate claim)
• Gracewood International Limited v Zhan Xiangming (claim under guarantee)
• Smartly Ltd v Kumar CIV 2020-404-001775 (High Court trial – breach of directors’ duties)
• Detection Services Limited and others v Pickering (High Court trial and appeals to the Court of Appeal – breach of contract arising out of the manufacture and failed delivery of lead detection equipment)
• NZ Iron Sands Holdings Ltd v Toward Industries and another CIV 2017-404-1975 – (High Court trial – NZD$500 million claim for breach of contract in relation to the cancelled sale of an iron sands mine)
• Yarrow v Westpac New Zealand Ltd (appeal to Court of Appeal against bankruptcy judgment)
• Trends Publishing International Limited v Callaghan Innovation CIV-2015-404-1274 – (High Court trial – NZD$50 million claim breach of contract by government funding agency)
• Natural Waters of Viti Ltd v Yaqara Pastoral Company Ltd HBC 204 of 2010 – (High Court trial – breach of contract claim in Fiji brought by Fiji Waters against a government controlled entity)
• Greymouth Holdings Ltd and others v Jet Trustees Ltd and others CIV-2011-404-5309 – (High Court trial – shareholder oppression claims arising out of one of New Zealand’s biggest oil and gas exploration companies)
• Fisher and Paykel Financial Services Ltd v Karum Group LLC CIV 2006-404-6646 – (High Court trial – breach of copyright)
• Ma v Ta (High Court trial – breach of contract)
• Robinson v Whangarei Head Ltd and another (High Court trial – damages arising out of malicious prosecution)
• Todd Pohokura Ltd v Shell Exploration NZ Ltd CIV-2006-485-1600 – (High Court trial – claim for breach of contract and anti-competitive behalf in relation to an oil and gas exploration joint venture)

White collar fraud/commercial crime /regulatory offending 

• R v Ross and others (electoral fraud)
• R v Zhang and Long (commercial fraud)
• Financial Markets Authority v CBL Corporation Ltd v CBL Corporation Limited (in liquidation) and others CIV-2019-404-2739; TEA Custodians Ltd and another v Wells and others CIV-2019-485-642 Livingstone v CBL Corporation Limited (In liquidation) and others CIV-2019-404-2727; CBLI Corporation Ltd and others v Harris and others CIV-2019-404-2792 – (various civil proceedings brought by Financial Markets Authority; representative shareholder groups; and liquidators alleging market disclosure failures and breaches of directors’ duties and arising out of the collapse of CBL insurance – the biggest corporate collapse of a publicly listed company in New Zealand history
• Shanghai Neuhof Trade Company Ltd and others v Zespri International Ltd – (High Court damages claim arising out of alleged commercial fraud in China)
• R v De Marco – (High Court trial – commercial fraud arising out of money alleged to have been taken from companies controlled by Sir Peter Jackson)
• R v Bublitz and others – (appeal to Court of Appeal – commercial fraud arising out of the post-GFC collapse of Viaduct and Mutual finance companies)
• R v Ross and another CRI2016-004-9662 – (High Court trial – commercial fraud arising out of alleged deceptions in NZ$40 million mortgage funding)
• R v Coffey and others CRI-2014-085-014183 – (High Court trial – commercial fraud arising out of breaches of the Gaming Act legislation)
• Commissioner of Police v William Yan & Ors CIV2014-404-2040 – (money laundering allegations and proceeds of crime proceedings arising out of alleged criminal offending in China)
• Financial Markets Authority v Warminger CIV-2015-404-001727 – (High Court trial – Financial Markets Authority pecuniary penalty claim arising out of alleged market manipulation by the manager of a NZ1 billion investment fund)
• R v Sullivan and others CRI 2011-076-1948 – (High Court trial – alleged NZ1.6 billion commercial fraud arising out of the post-GFC collapse of the largest finance company in New Zealand, South Canterbury Finance Ltd)
• R v Graham and others CRI 2011-076-1948 – (High Court trial and appeals to Court of Appeal and to the Supreme Court – Securities Act prosecution for false and misleading conduct arising out of the post-GFC collapse of Nathans Finance Ltd)
• R v Moses and others CRI 2009-004-1388 – (High Court trial – Securities Act prosecution for false and misleading conduct arising out of the post-GFC collapse of Lombard Finance Ltd) 

Criminal cases

• R v Benbow (murder)
• HKSAR v Alipate Moala (Court of First Instance trial – trafficking in dangerous drugs) 
• HKSAR v Ng Fan Ying (appeal to Court of Final Appeal, oral leave hearing and substantive appeal hearing – breach of conditions of work visa)
• State v Waqabaca and others HAC 361 of 2016 – (trial in High Court in Fiji – sedition prosecution against the Fiji Times, its publisher, editor and others) 
• R v MF (District Court trial – rape)
• R v XY (District Court trial – rape)
• R v SW (District Court trial – indecent assault)
• R v LW (High Court trial- Class A drugs)
• R v MC (District Court trial – sexual violation)
• R v AA (District Court trial – rape)
• R v NS (District Court trial – rape)
• R v HK (District Court trial – perverting the course of justice)
• R v Gui and others (High Court trial– manufacturing Class A drugs)