Auckland-based Hesketh Henry is ‘a stand out in the New Zealand market for its construction litigation practice’, handling a wide range of complex and high-profile construction disputes. The team garners praise for being ‘practical and commercially robust’ and ‘easy to work with’, and is led by Nick Gillies, who ‘combines excellent technical skills with strong commercial acumen.’ Christina Bryant is a key contact, with a solid track record in handling disputes up to Supreme Court level; Glen Holm-Hansen combines insolvency, regulatory and litigation expertise. Additionally, Gillies works alongside Helen Macfarlane to assist clients with construction and consultancy contracts. On the real estate side. Robert Berry is well known for advising on ground leases; he jointly heads the group with Brian Coburn, who acts for international high-net-worth individuals. Jacintha Tan, Barret Blaylock, and Sarah Holderness are names to note.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Their approach to appointing experts is excellent. The team are open to suggestions, and they recognise the value in finding the answer to the question rather than manufacturing a value for strategic positioning.'
- 'Nick is a considered and diligent lawyer. He is open to suggestions and is willing to pivot the approach without the rigidity that is commonplace in the legal industry. The overriding strength Nick holds is his knowledge of construction. To my mind, this places him and his practice front and centre in the NZ market for complex construction disputes.'
Key clients
- McConnell Dowell
- Fulton Hogan
Work highlights
- Representing a New Zealand subsidiary of the SRG Global Group in a procedurally complex, high-value dispute going to the Supreme Court.
- Acted for Norman Disney & Young in a case involving multiple defendants, concerning responsibility for an allegedly defective hot water system in a new private hospital.