Meet Jason Goodall KC

CBL

Reweti

Kohere

Like many newly-appointed Silks, Jason Goodall didn’t fully appreciate the sense of achievement until messages of congratulations started pouring in.

Informed of the news by Attorney-General David Parker a few days before it was made public in November 2022, Goodall says he’s excited about starting the next phase in his legal career.

Goodall seemed destined to be a barrister, as the winner of written and oral advocacy awards while studying at the University of Auckland at the turn of the millennium. In 2002, he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws with Honours and clerked for Sir Peter Blanchard in the Court of Appeal. Across the next seven years, he was a litigator at Russell McVeagh and London firm Slaughter & May before joining Auckland’s Bankside Chambers in 2009.

Commercial advocacy defines Goodall’s practice. With expertise in banking and financial disputes, insurance, professional negligence, insolvency and property disputes, the new KC has advised the likes of Vector, Westpac, Fletcher Building and Spark. And he has acted for clients in most of New Zealand’s biggest class action lawsuits, including the Southern Response, James Hardie and CBL cases.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Had you always aspired to take silk?

No, I hadn’t. At law school, I knew I wanted to be a barrister and doing interesting work. However, the idea of taking silk was too far into the future. It has only been over the last few years that I seriously considered the idea and started applying after it was suggested by some senior Silks. I would encourage anyone thinking about applying to take a sounding from senior practitioners around them. They provided invaluable advice to me.

Should we retain the title of King’s Counsel or revert to Senior Counsel?

I personally like King’s Counsel because it is known as a mark of legal excellence throughout the Commonwealth. The New Zealand Bar Association has confirmed recently that it would not support a change of name at this time. It is likely the issue will arise if, or when, our country decides to become a republic. However, it will be a long way down the list of concerns.

Over the past three years, which significant case that you’ve been involved in stands out the most and why?

This is a difficult question because nearly every case is significant to the parties involved and most stand out in some way if parties are in litigation. One of the most high-profile cases I am involved in is the CBL litigation, where I act for the liquidators of CBL Corporation. The company was listed on the NZX and went into liquidation in 2019, wiping out around $750 million in shareholder value and causing creditors hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. The failure has spawned six civil proceedings, all being case-managed together.

How can barristers continue to improve access to justice?

One of the ways all lawyers can, and do, help is through pro bono and community work, special fee arrangements and encouraging the early resolution of disputes. There is a large number of lawyers in New Zealand (around 15,000), so we can collectively make a real difference. I would encourage anyone interested in doing further work in this area to join Te Ara Ture Pro Bono Legal Service, which offers an online portal for pro bono instructions. ■