Rob is a very experienced partner in the commercial litigation group. His areas of expertise include litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He has special expertise in product liability.
Multinational and New Zealand clients regularly call on Rob in a wide variety of commercial and civil disputes, including product liability, contract, negligence, personal injury, insurance, Companies Act, conflict of laws, and consumer law disputes.
In the product liability and personal injury spheres, Rob has acted for major corporations on matters involving a diverse range of products, including asbestos, building products and tools, chemicals, electronics, electrical and telecommunications equipment, food and beverages, household appliances, jewellery, medical equipment, motor vehicle accessories, and pharmaceuticals.
In recent years, Rob has acted on product liability matters for major corporations based in Australia, Austria, China, Finland, Germany, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
- Chambers Global Insurance 2013 - Leading Lawyer
- The International Who's Who Legal Product Liability Defence 2013 - Leading Lawyer (only New Zealand practitioner recognised in the area)
- PLC Which Lawyer? Insurance 2013 - Leading Lawyer
- Guide to the World's Leading Product Liability Lawyers 2010 - Leading Lawyer
Examples of Work
- Lai v Chamberlains (Supreme Court) - landmark case, abolishing barristers' immunity from negligence claims
- Ludgater Holdings Ltd v Gerling Australia Insurance Co Pty Ltd (Supreme Court) - successful protest to the New Zealand courts' jurisdiction over a foreign product liability insurer
- Moldauer v Constellation Brands Inc (Court of Appeal) - successful protest to the New Zealand courts' jurisdiction over a foreign employer
- Hedley v Albany Power Centre Ltd (In Liq)(No 2) - directions to liquidators, resulting in their issuing proceedings against the former directors
- Lam v NZ International Trustee Co Ltd - examination of New Zealand witnesses for the purpose of Hong Kong proceedings, on behalf of the estate of an assassinated businessman
- Vertex Group Holdings Ltd v Stewart - litigation relating to validity of directors' appointments, resulting in the court appointment of an independent chairman
- The Coca-Cola Company (United States) - court orders and examination of a New Zealand witness in relation to a putative class action in Atlanta
Other Credentials
- Product Liability in the Asia-Pacific - Co-author
- International Product Liability Law - Co-author
- The International Comparative Legal Guide to Product Liability - Co-author
- International Association of Defence Counsel - Member
- New Zealand Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal - Former chairman
- Auckland Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal - Former chairman
- Auckland District Law Society - Former council member
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom) - Associate
