Christine Meechan KC

• LLB – University of Canterbury – 1985

Christine practises exclusively in the field of commercial litigation and has a wealth and depth of experience as a civil litigator.

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Commencing practice in a boutique insurance firm in 1985, then moving to Bell Gully in 1987, she worked for a specialist insurance firm in London in 1990, returning in 1991 to become a partner at Bell Gully’s Auckland office.

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Since moving to the independent bar in 2008 Christine has continued to practise exclusively in commercial litigation, focusing on insurance and construction disputes. Those two broad practise areas involve a huge range of cases, from earthquake claims to directors and officers liability claims in the insurance space and defective building claims and contractual battles in the construction space. Both practise areas require an ability to come to grips with factually, technically and legally complex cases which is one of Christine's strengths.

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An accomplished advocate at all levels, Christine is also very experienced in mediation and arbitration.

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Christine was ranked Band 1: Silks in the 2023 and 2024 Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific Rankings for Dispute Resolution – The Bar. She is ranked as a Leading Silk in the 2024 Legal 500 Asia Pacific Rankings for commercial disputes.

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Christine is a Fellow of the Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ).

‍Taylor v Asteron Life Limited

Acting for Asteron Life to successfully defend claim for entitlement to total disability benefits and recover benefits from fraudulent insured. The Court of Appeal judgment is an important decision in relation to the fraudulent claims rule and the application of the Contracts and Commercial Law Act 2017 to fraudulent claims.

Body Corporate 335089 v Vero Insurance Limited [2020] NZHC 5253

Acting for Vero in seven week trial to successfully defend claims in respect of damage to 12 town houses caused by the Canterbury earthquake sequence.‍

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Te Mihi Geothermal Power Plant

Acting for multi-national joint venture in arbitration arising from construction contract.

Hamilton v Watercare and Papakura District Council

Acting for Papakura District Council in High Court, Court of Appeal and Privy Council to successfully defend claims arising from supply of water to hydroponic tomato grower.

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Silverfield Developments Limited v Downer Construction (NZ) Limited

Successfully obtaining an order for specific performance on behalf of developer in large multi-unit building and defending award through challenges in High Court and Court of Appeal.

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The Nautilus

Acting as senior counsel for Body Corporate in a case which resulted in judgment which was, at the time, the largest damages award in a “leaky building” case.

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Ranked as a Leading Silk in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific Rankings 2024 for commercial disputes.

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Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2024 Dispute Resolution – The Bar: "Christine Meechan KC is one of the real go-to silks in New Zealand."

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Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2023 Dispute Resolution – The Bar: "Christine Meechan KC is at the top of her field. She has an incisive intellect and a keen strategic brain, and is the person you want at your side in a tough fight."

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Ranked in Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific 2022 Dispute Resolution – The Bar.

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Recommended as leading construction and infrastructure law barrister – Doyle’s Guide 2020.