Alan specialises in commercial litigation and advice with an emphasis on intellectual property, particularly in respect of media and entertainment issues. He has also acted in a number of contract, partnership and shareholder disputes, competition law and securities regulation issues, real property matters, arbitrations and mediations. He has appeared in most courts and tribunals with particular emphasis on the High Court.

After many years as a litigation partner in Auckland firms, including a position as head of the intellectual property division for major trans-tasman firm Phillips Fox, Alan joined the Independent Bar in 1992.

He is an Associate of the Arbitrators & Mediators Institute of New Zealand and has accepted a number of appointments as arbitrator and mediator.

Alan was a member of the New Zealand Film Commission for nine years and chair for six of those years. He now chairs the Arts Board of Creative New Zealand. He is the Director of the New Zealand Law Society Expert Witness Course and a regular member of their Advanced Litigation Skills Faculty. He has chaired the board of two listed public companies and takes an active interest in corporate governance matters. Alan chairs the appeal commitees of Auckland and New Zealand Tennis.

He has spoken at numerous conferences, including the annual conferences of the International Bar Association Conference and the Audio Visual Law Conference in France and recently attended Wolfson College at Cambridge University, England as a Visiting Fellow.