Judicial and King’s Counsel Appointments

We acknowledge and congratulate ADLS members who were appointed to the bench or as King’s Counsel during the year.

Judicial Appointments

Justice Peter Andrew

Appointed to the High Court as a Judge - based in Auckland

His Honour commenced his law career in 1984 joining the Auckland Crown office, Meredith Connell & Co. In 1990 Justice Andrew joined the Auckland Law office of Russell McVeagh as a senior solicitor, practising in the employment law and commercial litigation fields. Following that from 1993-1999 he was a Crown Counsel in the Treaty Issues and International Law Team at Crown Law where he represented the Crown in public litigation in the courts at all levels, and he was a member of the Crown negotiating team for the Treaty of Waitangi settlements, appearing frequently in the Waitangi Tribunal on historical and contemporary Treaty claims.

Associate Justice Grant Brittain KC

Appointed to the High Court as an Associate Judge - based in Auckland

His Honour began his career in law in 1991 when he took up a role as a litigation staff solicitor with Gibson Sheat working in criminal defence, family law and civil litigation. In 1995 he relocated to London where he worked from Freshfields before returning to New Zealand in 1996, taking up a role as a litigation staff solicitor for Hesketh Henry working in commercial and general civil litigation. Following that, from 20002002 Associate Judge Brittain held positions as an Associate at Sharp Tudhope and Senior Solicitor at Holland Beckett.

Appointment of King’s Counsel 2022

Catherine Stafford Cull KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Northland

Catherine Cull KC is a Barrister based in Kaikohe, Northland who originally began her law career in Christchurch. She has worked at Crown Solicitor firms Meredith Connell and Raymond Donnelly & Co, was appointed to the Christchurch Crown Prosecuting Panel and Christchurch Complaints Referral Panel in 1992 and was an investigating officer of South Island prisons in the Ombudsman’s Office. For the last two decades Catherine has resided in Northland, where she first joined Law North Partners in Kerikeri as a senior solicitor before she then made the decision to return to the independent bar.

Simon Robert Mitchell KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Auckland

Simon Robert Mitchell KC is a Barrister located in Auckland. He specializes in family, employment law including personal grievances, bargaining disputes, health and safety and related litigation. Simon has worked as a litigation lawyer since 1990. He regularly appears in the Family Court and all of the employment institutions including mediation services, Employment Relations Authority, the Employment Court and Court of Appeal. Simon has worked in the areas of domestic violence, care of children and property disputes for approximately 20 years in the Family Court.

Lisa Charlotte Preston KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Christchurch

Lisa Charlotte Preston KC is a Barrister based in Christchurch who graduated University with a LLB (Hons), BA and was later admitted to the bar in Wellington, 1992. Lisa is a trial and appellate lawyer who joined the independent bar in 2014 following her 20 years’ practice in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, including as a senior Crown counsel. Her practice also includes medico-legal, professional indemnity and disciplinary litigation, WorkSafe and other regulatory investigations and prosecutions.

Andrew Stephen Butler KC

David John Cooper KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Auckland

David John Cooper KC is a Barrister located in Auckland who is an experienced trial appellate advocate who appears in the courts at all levels. David has a general civil litigation practice with a particular focus on complex contractual disputes, company and securities law, takeovers, competition law, regulatory investigations, and construction and insurance disputes.

He joined Shortland Chambers as a Barrister in 2017. David is a co-author of Corporate Law in New Zealand and is a Convenor of a Law Society Standards Committee.

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Wellington

Andrew Stephen Butler KC is a litigator who practises in the Wellington region. He is a general litigator, and an acknowledged expert in commercial, trusts and public law. Andrew has frequently appeared before the New Zealand Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. He is a member of many professional associations such as, Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP), Chair of the New Zealand Law Foundation and member of the New Zealand Law Society Human Rights and Privacy Committee.

Stephanie Margaret Grieve KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Christchurch

Stephanie Margaret Grieve KC began her law career for Russell McVeagh after graduating from Otago university in 1997. Stephanie was elected to the bar in 1997. She also has experience working overseas including a French law firm, legal compliance team for an investment bank in London and as a legal counsel for a company in Amsterdam.

In 2022, Grieve returned to New Zealand, where she was located in Dunedin employed by Anderson Lloyd. She was made a partner in 2005 and then relocated to Christchurch. In 2011, she joined Duncan Cotterill as a partner before moving to the independent Bar in 2018 after her 13 years as a litigation partner.

Bronwyn

Shirley Carruthers KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Auckland

Bronwyn Shirley Carruthers KC has specialised in environmental, resource management and local government law since 2000. She graduated from the University of Waikato with LLB (Hons) and BSc (Environmental Science) and was admitted to the bar in 2000. She began her law career at Simpson Grierson before joining Russell McVeagh in 2011 where she became a partner in that firm’s Environmental, Planning and Natural Resources team later that year. In December 2018 Bronwyn joined Shortland Chambers. Carruthers has advised on a wide range of Resource Management Act 1991 issues and has experience appearing at all levels of New Zealand’s justice system.

Tiffany

Mary Cooper KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Auckland

Tiffany Mary Cooper KC is a litigator who is located in Auckland and has been a litigator for nearly 20 years. Tiffany is a member of ADLS, the New Zealand Bar Association, Auckland Crown Solicitor’s prosecution panel, Pro Bono SPCA Panel Prosecutor and South Auckland (Manukau) Crown Solicitor’s Prosecution Panel.

Nicholas Paul Chisnall KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Auckland

Nicholas Paul Chisnall KC was elected to the bar in 1999, where he started as a commercial and property lawyer at Gibson Sheat before making the decision to move into employment law. He was the Public Defence Service’s General Counsel and oversaw the PDS’s appellate practice. Prior to joining the PDS, he was Crown Counsel at the Crown Law Office in Wellington, where he led appeals in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court on behalf of the SolicitorGeneral. Chisnall then moved to the independent bar in 2017.

Jason Keith Goodall KC

Appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel - based in Auckland

Jason Keith Goodall KC is a commercial advocate based in Auckland with a high focus on High Court and appellate litigation. He graduated from the University of Auckland with LLB (Hons)/BCom. Jason commenced his practice as a barrister in 2009; prior to this he clerked for Sir Peter Blanchard in the Court of Appeal. Jason practises across the full range of commercial litigation, but has particular expertise in banking and finance disputes, insurance, professional negligence, insolvency, trust and company litigation, and property disputes.

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