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Kōrero: Chambers News
Appointment of Coroner McCleave
Rachael Schmidt-McCleave has been appointed a Coroner, sitting in Palmerston North. Coroner SchmidtMcCleave is an experienced litigator who has worked in public and private practice in New Zealand and the United Kingdom since admission in 1996. She joined the Independent Bar in 2014. She has extensive expertise in public law and judicial review in particular, as a result of almost a decade at the Crown Law Office. For the past three years she has been lead counsel for the Crown in both the Royal Commission of Abuse in Care Inquiry and in the Waitangi Tribunal Oranga Tamariki Urgent Uplift Inquiry.
This is what her fellow chambers colleagues have to say about Coroner McCleave:
Rachael was one of the first women to join us Sheppard Chambers in 2021. We sought her out because she is a wonderful colleague, and we knew she’d make a fantastic member of KSC (we were right!). Now, years later, we are so proud to see her become Sheppard Chambers’ first judicial appointment. compassionate, hardworking, and has an exceptional legal mind. These are perfect attributes for a Coroner. We wish her all the best as she swaps her black robes for navy blue.
Bankside Chambers
Bankside member Peter Watts KC became the first New Zealander, reportedly, to have earned the prestigious Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) from the University of Oxford by examination, rather than received as honorary. Peter has been granted leave to supplicate for the DCL with a ceremony to follow. Peter has been teaching law at Oxford for several weeks a year as a Visiting Professor since 2017. As a world authority on the law of agency,
Peter has been engaged to advise in a number of the leading cases in the area in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions, and in international arbitrations. Read more about Peter’s remarkable achievement.
In October Bankside warmly welcomed new member Michael Morrison to chambers. Having been a partner for over 17 years leading commercial and civil litigation teams, more recently with Morrison Mallet (now Morrison Partners Limited), Michael is well recognised by his peers as a highly experienced and successful commercial litigator. His depth of experience and knowledge spans across contractual disputes, civil fraud, corporate law, joint venture/fiduciary duties, finance and securities, insolvency, professional negligence, trust and property disputes, with substantial expertise in the primary sector. As well as his outstanding advocacy skills, Michael has broad commercial experience and excellent judgment, uniquely combined with his ability to win the trust of his clients and manage the human relationship dynamics of difficult conflicts.
Bankside is delighted to have welcomed seasoned commercial litigator Polly Pope to chambers in early December. Polly is a highly regarded commercial litigator who joins Bankside after over a decade as partner at preeminent law firm Russell McVeagh, including a term as Chair of the Partnership. Her expertise spans commercial, insolvency, construction, and financial regulatory enforcement disputes and investigations. Polly has long been a trusted advisor to many of New Zealand’s largest companies. Polly became a Fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in 2018 and has subsequently been appointed to the Arbitration Panels of the New Zealand Dispute Resolution Centre and of AMINZ. As a Bankside Singapore member, Polly will be assisting New Zealand companies to pursue international arbitration to resolve disputes.
Bankside is also pleased to welcome Oliver Harding, a barrister employed by Jeremy Johnson. Oliver graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Laws and Arts and was admitted to the bar in July 2022. Before joining Bankside Chambers, Oliver was a solicitor at Grimshaw & Co, where he worked on building defect claims and property and construction disputes.
Bankside is thrilled to be sponsoring and participating in this year’s Hong Kong Arbitration Week. Bankside Singapore Member Lauren Lindsay says that the interplay between insolvency issues and arbitration has long been a challenge for many practitioners but with the recent high-profile judicial attention, it is important to explore it in more depth.” – Bankside Singapore member, Lauren Lindsay.
Bankside is proud to be the first New Zealand barristers’ chambers to host a session during Hong Kong Arbitration Week with Bankside Singapore members Hon Paul Heath KC, Dr Anna Kirk, Lauren Lindsay and Singapore-based Rina See, presenting on insolvency and arbitration: how to navigate disputes with an insolvent party, at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). Read more here
Congratulations go to Kate Wiseman, Kelly Quinn and Mark Kelly for their awards at the annual AMINZ conference. Kate Wiseman and Kelly Quinn received the Arbitration Fellowship, the Institute’s highest credentialled status. With a rigorous assessment process of both academic knowledge and practical skills, the AMINZ Fellowship is the only arbitration credential worldwide that grants automatic reciprocal Fellowship rights with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in the United Kingdom. Kelly Quinn was also awarded the Sir Ronald Davison prize for excellence in fellowship arbitration. Former AMINZ president Mark Kelly won Te Tohu Ngākau Nui: The Big Heart Award, for his commitment to recognising selfless service and valuable contributions as a mentor.
On Thursday 26 October Justice Laura O'Gorman was sworn in as Judge of the High Court by Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann. Speakers included Solicitor-General Una Jagose, on behalf of the Government of Aotearoa New Zealand and Frazer Barton, President of the New Zealand Law Society, on behalf of the legal profession. Many Bankside members attended to honour Laura’s appointment to the bench and her valuable contribution to chambers. We will miss Laura and wish her all the best.
Britomart Chambers
James Christmas joins Britomart Chambers
Britomart Chambers is delighted to welcome James Christmas to chambers. James has a broad client base around New Zealand. He specialises in public law, with broad experience in the Treaty of Waitangi, the Crown-Māori relationship, national security and governance.
A lawyer since 2012, he was a senior adviser to former Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson KC, and Prime Ministers Sir John Key and Sir Bill English, and has practised on his own account since 2019.
In 2021, he co-authored with Christopher Finlayson KC He Kupu Taurangi, a history of Treaty Settlements under the National Government. He is currently writing the biography of former National Party Minister of Justice, Ralph Hanan.
James has a long-standing interest in New Zealand foreign policy and the arts and served as a trustee of the New Zealand String Quartet from 2017 to 2023.
FortyEight Shortland Barristers announces a new member
FortyEight Shortland Barristers is delighted to announce that Patrick Senior has joined as a member of chambers.
Patrick is an experienced environment and resource management specialist. He has a range of experience appearing before local authorities, the Environment Court, the High Court, and providing advice on strategic and policy matters. Patrick has a special interest in coastal projects, urban development, climate change and farming and freshwater.
He joins chambers from Russell McVeagh, where he was a Senior Associate in the Environment, Planning and Natural Resources team. Patrick holds an LLB (Hons), BSC (Hons) from the University of Auckland and has practiced at leading firms in New Zealand and in the United Kingdom. Patrick moved to the Bar in August 2023.
Kate Sheppard Chambers 2023 wrap up
It has been another eventful year at Kate Sheppard Chambers. With the arrival of Fiona Cleary, Samantha Allen, and Bronagh McKenna, KSC become Aotearoa’s third largest chambers. 2023 also saw KSC’s first judicial appointment: in October a number of KSC barristers were present to witness Rachael SchmidtMcCleave being sworn in as a coroner.
In May, KSC celebrated two years since their public launch with a party at the National Library Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa. KSC talent was on display, with guests entertained by a superb cello solo from Dr Alison Gordon and a moving rendition of Whakaaria Mai from Genevieve Haszard. The white camellia in the KSC logo is symbolic of the white camellias worn by supporters of women’s right to vote. On the night, each KSC barrister wore a white silk camellia lapel pin. KSC scholarship recipients, Cait Hollywood and Anna Dombroski, and guest speaker The Hon. Sir Stephen Kós, were also presented with silk camellias in recognition of their special place in the wider KSC whānau.
KSC barristers have shared their knowledge and experience with the profession throughout the year. Bronagh McKenna chaired the 2023 Public and Administrative Law Conference; Jamie O’Sullivan presented at the Environmental Compliance Conference on the use of the new Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 in compliance and enforcement; Lizzy Wiessing presented at two conferences on the rating of Whenua Māori; Nikki Pender was a panellist for the NZBA seminar on advocacy in the coronial jurisdiction; and Jamie O’Sullivan and Pauline Courtney were members of the NZLS litigation skills faculty. There was a strong KSC presence at the NZBA conference in Ōtautahi and Genevieve Haszard chaired a session with a panel of junior barristers.
Members of KSC have also received recognition within the profession. Dr Petra Butler was made a Fellow of the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand. Dr Butler has also recently been appointed Dean of Law at the University of Canterbury. Isabella Clarke was named on New Zealand Lawyer’s Elite Women List for 2023.
Dhilum Nightingale continues to work towards innovative solutions for vulnerable migrants. Dhilum has established a charitable trust called VERI-Mi that is building a digital solution to migrant exploitation. She is also undertaking her second Borrin funded research project: a partnership with Shama Ethnic Women's Trust looking into the experiences of ethnic and migrant women who report family violence and go through a Family Court process. The research is capturing victim/ survivors' experiences, looking at the particular barriers and challenges they face in the Family Court, and seeing how the system can be more culturally responsive.
Helping other women to progress in their legal careers and addressing gender imbalances is important work for KSC. On 19 September, 130 years to the day since women in Aotearoa won the right to vote, KSC proudly announced Sophie Brokenshire as the 2023 recipient of the Kate Sheppard Chambers Scholarship for Research into Women and the Law. Sophie’s research will shine a light on women-led civil disobedience in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the members of KSC have been busy providing expert advice on a broad range of subject matters and representing their clients in every forum. By way of some highlights: Sarah Shaw has been appointed to Auckland Council’s Independent Hearings Panel on urban intensification; Clare Lenihan chaired the expert consenting panel appointed to consider and decide the Hananui Aquaculture resource consent application; Dhilum Nightingale has been appointed a Freshwater Commissioner by the Minister for the Environment; Dr Rhonda Powell appeared in the Supreme Court in an appeal involving relationship property; Nikki Pender is counsel for some of the families in the inquest into the Christchurch Masjidian attacks; and Elana Geddis appeared in the International Court of Justice, acting for New Zealand in its intervention in the claim brought by Ukraine against Russia under the Genocide Convention.
The Hon. Justice Kós noted earlier this year that the members of KSC are “gifted and talented barristers” and that KSC will make “a tangible and very positive difference” to women at the bar. The members of Kate Sheppard Chambers look forward to seeing what milestones 2024 will bring.
Barrister Matewai Tukapua joins Kōkiri Chambers
Matewai (Muaūpoko, Te Ātihaunuia-Pāpārangi me Taranaki Tūturu) joined the Kōkiri Chambers whānau in July 2023. She is a Wellington based barrister specialising in Public Law, Te Tiriti o Waitangi
and Māori legal issues. Matewai was formerly Crown Counsel in the Treaty Team at the Crown Law Office and a Senior Associate at Kāhui Legal. Her experience includes providing advice and representing clients on issues concerning Te Tiriti o Waitangi, along with a deep involvement in issues in the Waitangi Tribunal.
Matewai joins Bernadette Roka Arapere and Rohario Murray in the kaupapa Māori, virtual barrister’s chambers, which was established in February 2022. Kōkiri Chambers’ barristers have expertise in Public and Administrative Law, litigation and dispute resolution, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori Legal Matters and Environmental Law. All barristers are speakers of Te Reo Māori and have authentic knowledge of tikanga Māori.
The virtual nature of Kōkiri Chambers allows their barristers to stay connected and available to assist their clients with their legal matters wherever they may be located.
Ai ua, ai hau, ai marangai. Kōkiri! Withstand the rain, the wind, the storms. Go forth!
Sangro Chambers
Former High Court Judge Paul Davison KC (admitted February 1975) has joined Sangro Chambers where he offers mediation and litigation consultancy services. He was appointed a HC judge in 2015 and retired from the bench in August 2023.
Shortland Chambers
In late 2023, Shortland Chambers members were pleased to welcome three new members, James Ruddell, Yoonjung (Yoony) Lee and Matthew Harris.
James is a commercial and civil barrister with wide international experience. From 2016, James practised from One Essex Court, a top-tier barristers’ chambers in London, where he specialised in corporate and commercial disputes, banking and finance, and civil fraud. Prior to that, James was a member of Bell Gully’s litigation team in Auckland and Wellington. James holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Oxford, where he graduated with distinction.
Yoony is a commercial litigator with extensive experience in large-scale and complex disputes. She has acted for clients in mediations, court proceedings and arbitrations across a wide range of sectors and specialises in corporate and commercial disputes. Prior to joining the independent bar, Yoony worked at MinterEllisonRuddWatts and subsequently Gilbert Walker. Yoony holds LLB (Hons), BCom (Hons) and LLM degrees from the University of Auckland.
Matthew is an experienced trial and appellate advocate who practises in most areas of commercial law, including company and commercial, class actions, insurance and professional liability, construction, and property. He joins chambers after 16 years at Gilbert Walker; he previously practised at Clifford Chance and Davis Polk London and at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC. Matthew holds a BA and LLB(Hons) from the University of Auckland and an LLM from NYU.
In July, the members farewelled Yvonne Mortimer-Wang who moved to Britomart Chambers.
Walker Street celebrates its five-year anniversary
Walker Street Chambers in Christchurch recently celebrated its five-year anniversary with a cocktail party at the Christchurch Art Gallery, joined by members of the Bar and profession, current and retired members of the judiciary, NZLS President Frazer Barton, court staff, stakeholders and friends. Established in 2018 by Kerryn Beaton KC and Anselm Williams, Walker Street Chambers has grown rapidly and now has 20 barristers in chambers, including eight employed junior barristers.
Its members provide expert advice and representation to clients in criminal, regulatory, parole, civil, family, employment, privacy, coronial and resource management proceedings at all levels of courts and tribunals throughout the motu. Walker Street Chambers is committed to access to justice with most members providing legal aid services, and is a leader in the employment, training and mentoring of junior members of the bar. Walker Street Chambers’ services are complimented by its three Associate Members: The Forensic Group, Zavést and Panckhurst Consulting, which are pre-eminent forensic, investigative and psychiatric experts supporting all aspects of legal work for chambers members and the independent bar.
