Sean is a commercial litigation lawyer with a leading reputation and extensive experience including commercial, property, leasing, and product liability disputes. This includes insolvency, restructuring and corporate recovery , security enforcement, banking litigation, creditors remedies, admiralty and maritime law.
Sean has extensive experience in commercial litigation, having been involved in numerous trials and defended hearings at various levels, involving a wide range of commercial, property, leasing, and product liability disputes. Sean has also acted as an advocate for clients" interests in other dispute resolution contexts, including arbitrations, mediations, and appearances before a variety of regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies.
Sean's particular area of expertise is both the commercial and litigation aspects of insolvency and restructuring law, the enforcement of securities, credit and financing agreements, banking recoveries and general creditors remedies action. Sean also practices in admiralty litigation.
Some of Sean's major projects
Acts for various banks and finance companies on a range of matters involving the enforcement of securities
Advised the receivers appointed to the Waikato Valley Milk Company
Advising the receivers appointed to the Central North Island Forestry Partnership (CNIFP) – the largest and potentially most complex receivership to date in New Zealand
Advised major corporate creditors in relation to the collapse of Tasman Pacific Airlines of NZ Limited and their dealings with the receivers and liquidators appointed to that company, including representing the interests of one substantial creditor on the liquidation creditors committee
Acting for the receivers appointed to the Crafar farming Group of companies, the largest privately held dairy farming enterprise in New Zealand
Acted for the receivers appointed to the “Footloose” chain of retail stores
Acted for the receivers appointed to the “Pack n’ Pedal” and “Central Park Interactive” chains of retail stores
Acted for the receivers appointed to the “Line 7” chain of retail stores
Acting for receivers appointed to enterprises operating in various sectors including farming and agricultural, retail, manufacturing, freight forwarding and logistics, motor vehicle dealerships, and construction
Acted for a major trading bank in successfully defending the first shadow director claim brought against a financial institution in New Zealand
Acted for a major finance company on the admiralty arrest and subsequent judicial sale of the New Zealand luxury vessel “Sirdar”
Acted for a multi national corporate intervening in admiralty arrest proceedings brought against various deep sea fishing vessels
Acted for a private client in a claim for damage arising from a collision at sea and the investigation by the Maritime Safety Authority
Acted for stevedoring companies in relation to negligence and damage claims associated with wharf activities
Acted for a private client in relation to a significant product liability claim brought by him
Acted for a major corporate in relation to a substantial claim brought by a former contractor
Acted for a multi national corporate in several arbitrations with contractors arising from the restructuring of its distribution process
Acted for iwi interests in a land valuation arbitration in relation to Crown Forestry land being returned as part of the settlement of Treaty claims
Appeared before the Securities Commission on an application to disqualify a director from being involved in the management of companies
Acted for a health professional board in successfully defending judicial review proceedings brought by a member whose registration had been suspended
Memberships and directorships
Member of the New Zealand Law Society/Society of Accountants Joint Insolvency Committee Member of INSOL Member of Banking and Financial Services Law Association
Seminars and publications
Chapters on Cross Border Insolvency and the UNCITRAL Model Law in Heath & Whale on Insolvency
International recognition
Leading lawyer (Restructuring and insolvency) International Financial Law Review 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007
Leading individual - Guide to the World's Leading Tax Advisers 2010
Leading individual (restructuring & insolvency) - Asia Pacific Legal 500 - 2011/2012, 2010/2011, 2008/2009, 2007/2008, 2006/2007, 2005/2006
