Stephen is a Partner in the Corporate/Commercial Group of Simpson Grierson's Commercial Department, and is a member of the Simpson Grierson Board of Management.

Stephen advises New Zealand and international corporates on companies law and overseas investment in New Zealand.  He regularly works with many of Simpson Grierson's clients on strategic issues, corporate governance and statutory compliance.

He also has more than 20 years' experience on establishing, managing, amalgamating and winding up of life and general insurance companies, superannuation schemes, unit trusts and group investment funds. 

Clients include: AMP, Austral Pacific Energy Ltd., AXA, Energy Market Services, Holcim (New Zealand), Inland Revenue, Intervet, OMV New Zealand, Quotable Value, Swift Energy, Tap Oil, The Treasury, Thomson Corporation, Transpower, Westpac and Willis.

• acting for the New Zealand division of Thomson Learning in the worldwide divestiture of Thomson Learning (2007)
• amalgamation of the Cengage Learning group of companies (2007)
• advising on the separation of the Australian and New Zealand operations of Energy Market Services Limited (2007)
• principal external legal provider to Inland Revenue on implementation of KiwiSaver (2007)
• restructuring a number of large superannuation schemes as a result of KiwiSaver (2007)
• establishing a KiwiSaver Scheme (2007)
• establishment of a complying superannuation scheme (2007)
• Austral Energy's acquisition of Arrowhead Energy Limited (2007)
• BP Oil's acquisition of a 49% shareholding in Rural Fuels Limited (2006)
• Transpower's regulatory issues (2006)
• the proposed establishment of a new life insurance company in New Zealand (2006)
• the proposed establishment of a new general insurance company in New Zealand (2006)
• the establishment of two new superannuation schemes (2006)
• potential prosecutions under the Securities Act 1978 and the Financial Reporting Act 1995 (2006)
• New Zealand Community Trust's outsourcing of operational services (2006)
• OMV's sale of Pohokura gas to Contact Energy (2006)
• Intervet International's acquisition of AgVax Developments (2005)
• Energy Market Services' proposed acquisition of The Marketplace Company (2005)
• the Crown's sale of its Kawerau geothermal assets to Mighty River Power (2005)
• the New Zealand Rugby Union Bid Office's bid to host Rugby World Cup 2011 (2005)
• AXA's New Zealand outsourcing (2005)
• Origin Energy's acquisition of a majority interest in Contact Energy (2004)
• Quotable Value's acquisition of three companies in Australia (2004) and two companies in New Zealand (2005/2006)
• AXA's A$260 million acquisition of Sterling Grace (Spicers Group of companies) and the sale of New Zealand Permanent Trustees and AXA Health by AXA New Zealand (2003)
• the Crown's IPO and trade sale (to US based Edison Mission Energy) of Contact Energy
  

• Barrister and Solicitor, High Court of New Zealand
• Solicitor, Supreme Court England and Wales
• Brookers' Land Law - Co-author
• New Zealand Law Society - Convenor, Contract and Consumer Law Reform Committee
• Life Flight Trust - Trustee
• Director - Macquarie Airports Limited
• New Zealand Rugby Union - Appeal Council Member
• Member of the Institute of Directors