Employment litigation
FMV v TZB [2021] NZSC 102 (SC)
Acting for TZB (employer) in successfully striking-out High Court proceedings brought by a former employee in the High Court for want of jurisdiction. The Supreme Court decision dealt with the jurisdictional boundary between the courts of general jurisdiction and the exclusive jurisdiction of the employment institutions.
FMV v TZB [2026] NZEmpC 91 (EC)
Acting for TZB in successfully striking out FMV’s challenge proceedings in the Employment Court, on the ground that her underlying personal grievance claims were time-barred and it would not have been just to require TZB to defend the claims.
CHANNEL INFRASTRUCTURE NZ LTD v HOLROYD & 120 ORS [2025] NZEmpC 263 (EC)
Appearing for Channel in successfully challenging the Authority’s determination regarding the calculation of redundancy compensation following the conversion of the Marsden Point oil refinery to an import terminal.
FMV v TZB [2024] NZERA 584
Appearing for the respondent in successfully having the applicant’s claim treated as withdrawn due to inaction, and on the additional ground that the underlying claim was statute-barred.
ZYZ v QBC [2024] NZHRRT 50
Acting for the defendant in successfully striking out the plaintiff’s claim at trial as an abuse of process, following nine years of litigation.
G v HUMAN RIGHTS REVIEW TRIBUNAL & ANOR [2023] NZHC 3883 (HC)
Acting for the second respondent in successfully defending the applicant’s judicial review application. The application sought to challenge the Tribunal’s decision dismissing the applicant’s application for further and better discovery and challenging claims of privilege.
GOODMAN FIELDER NEW ZEALAND LTD & ORS v RICKARD-SIMMS [2019] NZHC 599 (HC)
Judicial review application challenging the decision of the District Court to accept documents for filing initiating a private prosecution of the applicants under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
WILLS v GOODMAN FIELDER NEW ZEALAND LTD [2014] NZEMPC 233 (EC)
Acting for the defendant in a claim for constructive dismissal arising out of the closure of the company’s bakery building and plant as a result of the 2011 Canterbury Earthquake.
LYTTLETON PORT COMPANY v RMTU [2014] NZ NZEMPC 236 (EC)
Acting for Lyttleton Port Company in an application for an urgent interim injunction to restrain members of RMTU from participating in strike action at the Port on the grounds of health and safety.
GEORGE v AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL [2013] NZEMPC 179 (EC)
Acting for the Council in successfully defending claims by a former employee for unjustified dismissal and disadvantage.
HUTTON & 111 ORS v PROVENCOCADMUS LTD (IN REC) [2012] NZEMPC 207 (EC)
Acting for the receivers of ProvencoCadmus in successfully defending claims by representatives of 112 former employees as to the identity of their former employer prior to receivership.
LSG SKY CHEFS NEW ZEALAND LTD v PACIFIC FLIGHT CATERING LIMITED HC Auckland, CIV 201-404-00277, 14 February 2011 (HC)
Acting for PFC in successfully opposing an interim injunction application by LSG in the High Court seeking compliance with Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (protected workers).
General litigation
SIEMER v HERON & ANOR [2011] NZSC 133 (SC), [2013] NZSC 111 (SC)
Acting for the first and second defendants in defending a multitude of proceedings brought by the plaintiff. The Supreme Court decision concerned whether a right of appeal to the Court of Appeal existed for an interlocutory decision and upheld the defendants’ argument that any underlying appeal right was deemed abandoned and ceased to exist.
ORLOV v ANZA DISTRIBUTING (NZ) LTD & ANOR [2011] NZSC 28 (SC)
Acting for liquidators of ANZA in ongoing litigation successfully challenging the standing of USG to bring proceedings purportedly for and on behalf of the company in liquidation.
HOUGHTON v SAUNDERS & ORS (2009) 19 PRNZ 476 (HC)
Acting for the defendants in the Feltex IPO proceedings in successfully obtaining the production of the expert accounting opinion relied upon by the plaintiffs, and a stay of the proceedings pending an appeal of an earlier decision to the Court of Appeal.
Health and Safety prosecutions
WORKSAFE NZ v VISY GLASS NEW ZEALAND LTD [2023] NZDC 18533
WORKSAFE NZ v AFFCO NEW ZEALAND LTD [2023] NZDC 12484
WORKSAFE NZ v ASUREQUALITY LTD [2020] NZDC 23107
WORKSAFE NZ v ALLIANCE GROUP LTD [2019] NZDC 10924
WORKSAFE NZ v FIRST GAS LTD & ORS [2019] NZDC 2822
WORKSAFE NZ v ALLIANCE GROUP LTD [2018] NZDC 20916
WORKSAFE NZ v RENTOKIL INITIAL LTD [2016] NZDC 21294
WORKSAFE NZ v FLETCHER STEEL LTD [2015] NZDC 15704
WORKSAFE NZ v FLETCHER STEEL LTD [2015] NZDC 8262
WORKSAFE NZ v GENERAL DISTRIBUTORS LTD [2015] NZDC 18672
MBIE v GOODMAN FIELDER NEW ZEALAND LTD (2013) CRI-2013-054-001534
Enforceable undertakings: St Kentigern Trust Board (2017); The Supplychain Limited (2018)
Seminars / Papers
NZLS CLE Employment Law Conference (2025), “Advocacy Skills in the Employment Jurisdiction”.
TLANZ (2025) “Health and Safety case law update”.
NZLS Employment Law Conference (2022), “In a tight spot: individuals convicted as officers under HSWA”.
ADLS Employment Law (2022), “Blowing a new whistle: Unpacking the new Protected Disclosures regime”.
ADLS Employment Law (2021), Burning Issues: “The Supreme Court decision in FMV v TZB”.
ADLS Health and Safety (2021), “When an inspector comes knocking”.
ADLS Property Law (2018), “Asbestos in the workplace”.
ADLS Health and Safety (2017), “Engaging with WorkSafe: Handling incidents and investigations”.
NZLS Property Law Conference (2014), “Earthquake prone buildings: There is no such thing as a ‘get out of jail free’ card”.
NZLS Tax Conference (2012), “Managing documents in a dispute”.
NZLS Employment Law Conference (2012), “Personal grievances: Getting the remedies right”.
