Graeme Christie

Graeme is a partner in the commercial litigation group. He acts for national and international clients on all forms of dispute resolution. 

Graeme conducts arbitrations, and regularly appears in the High Court and Court of Appeal. He has also appeared in the Fijian Court of Appeal and the Court of Appeal in the Cook Islands. In 2011 Graeme appeared at Lausanne, Switzerland at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Graeme specialises in property and construction law. He has more than 30 years' experience of acting for principals, consultants, contractors, and subcontractors. He provides advice on a wide range of construction issues, including structuring and contract documentation, joint venture agreements, alliancing, partnering, guaranteed maximum price contracts, and code compliance. He also assists clients to resolve construction disputes by means of negotiated settlements, mediation, arbitration, adjudication, and litigation.

In addition, Graeme has considerable experience with the Health and Safety at Work Act. He has successfully defended a number of prosecutions involving fatalities. He has also appeared in coroners' hearings.

• Chambers Asia-Pacific Construction 2018 - Leading Lawyer
• Asia Pacific Legal 500 Dispute Resolution/Real Estate & Construction 2016 - Recommended Lawyer
• Chambers Asia-Pacific Real Estate/Construction 2015 - Leading Lawyer

Examples of Work

• Rolls-Royce New Zealand - litigation concerning the Kinleith cogeneration project (New Zealand's largest construction case to date)
• International consortium - refurbishment of Auckland's waste-water treatment system (one of the largest civil engineering projects of its kind in the world)
• Canam Construction - landmark Court of Appeal case on adjudication and the Construction Contracts Act
• Major infrastructure projects, including Moa Point, Kupe Gas oilfield, and Pohakura
• Major construction projects, including Auckland Hospital A+ $350 million upgrade, University of Auckland Business School, Auckland Museum Stage II, Civic Theatre upgrade, and Auckland University of Technology building programme
• Westfield - successful defence of a substantial claim arising from a leasing dispute
• OceanaGold - decline contracts for the Frasers underground gold mine
• Ministry of Justice - large claim against contractor and architect concerning roof of Manukau court complex
• Major stadium projects, including Eden Park New North Stand, Westpac Stadium, Hamilton Stadium, and Jade Stadium
• Contractors, cladding suppliers, and timber suppliers - major "leaky building" claims
• Joint venture undertaking Kiwi Dairy upgrade - successful arbitration
• Aotearoa Kiwifruit Export - recovery of damages from the Zespri Group (a statutory single-desk kiwifruit marketer) for obstructing kiwifruit exports
• Dispute relating to completion and taking over of the Te Rapa cogeneration plant

Other Credentials

• Solicitor, England and Wales
• International Academy of Construction Lawyers - Fellow
• New Zealand Society of Construction Law - Founding council member
• Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand - Member and commentator at seminars
• University of Auckland - former lecturer in School of Architecture and Planning, guest lecturer in Faculty of Engineering