Pleadings matter (CPD 1.5 hrs)

Stephen Mills KC (Chair)

Stephen was a barrister and Kings Counsel based at Shortland Chambers in Auckland until his retirement in 2022.  Before he retired, Stephen specialised in contract and commercial law, public law and defamation. For several years, he led the cases brought by the Commerce Commission to test and clarify the effect of the CCCFA. He has extensive experience in structural engineering disputes, in part as a result of his appointment as counsel assisting the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Canterbury Earthquakes, where he led the hearing on the collapse of the CTV Building. His practice involved both trial and appellate work. 

Stephen has kindly agreed to join us as chair of this presentation.

Sarah Armstrong KC

Sarah is a commercial litigation specialist practising from Shortland Chambers in Auckland. She has over two decades of experience in New Zealand and the UK.  

Sarah joined the independent bar in 2020 and is active across a broad range of commercial disputes, including company and securities law, banking and financial regulatory investigations, complex contract and tort claims, competition and fair trading.  Before joining the bar, Sarah was a partner in Russell McVeagh’s litigation practice for 12 years.

Sarah was appointed to the rank of King’s Counsel in 2024.  

Charlotte Griffin

Charlotte has practised as a civil litigation and public law specialist for the past 20 years. She leads trials and appeals at all levels of the Courts and has particular expertise in human rights, tort and public law damages claims, prison and parole law, and immigration and refugee proceedings. With broad experience in sensitive claims involving historic abuse of vulnerable persons, such as prisoners, children in state care/faith-based institutions, and those involved in mental health proceedings, Charlotte has dealt extensively with self-represented litigants in distressing and complex matters. Prior to joining the Independent Bar in 2015, Charlotte practised for ten years at the Crown Law Office and earlier in private practice and teaching roles. She is a District Inspector for Mental Health. She founded Kate Sheppard Chambers with Isabella Clarke, now Aotearoa’s third largest and only nationwide set of barristers’ chambers, focussed on supporting women lead at the Bar.

Brent O'Callahan

Over almost 30 years Brent has had a wide and varied advocacy practice in the senior courts with a particular reputation in professional negligence, securities, equity, trusts and international asset recovery.  This has included one of the longest running and most complex multi-jurisdictional cases to ever run through the New Zealand courts, including participation in overseas hearings and trials.  In terms of pleadings, he has seen it all, including how pleadings fare as they come under scrutiny from intermediate and final appellate courts both here and overseas.