Richard Raymond KC

Richard graduated with a BCom LLB from the University of Otago in 1988. He then worked in commercial litigation in leading Wellington and London firms before returning to New Zealand and the Crown Solicitor’s Office in Christchurch in 1993. He was appointed Senior Crown Counsel and was an Associate of Raymond Donnelly & Co.

In 1997 Richard joined the litigation team at Duncan Cotterill and became a partner in 1998. He led a large team of litigators and built a significant commercial and insurance litigation practice. He was on the firm’s Board for several years and served as Chairman before joining the independent bar in 2011.

Richard was appointed Queen’s Counsel in June 2016.

Expertise

Arbitration
Banking Law
Building and Construction
Company
Competition and Fair Trading
Contract, Civil and Commercial Disputes
Criminal Law, including Serious Fraud
Inquiries
Insurance
Investigations
Judicial Review and Public Law
Mediation
Trusts
Wills and Estates

Case Highlights

The Christian Church Community Trust and others v Bank of New Zealand [2023] NZHC 2523 (application for an interim injunction requiring BNZ to continue to provide banking facilities.)
Canaan Farming Dairy Ltd v Westland Dairy Company Ltd [2022] NZHC 2524 (application for an interim injunction requiring Westland to collect Canaan’s milk supply from its farms – commercial contracts – injunctive relief.)
Williamson v Smalley [2022] NZHC 1452 (application for orders for specific performance requiring the transfer of shares from exiting shareholder following expert determination of value of shares); Williamson v Smalley [2022] NZHC 1789 (defence of application for stay of judgment); Smalley v Williamson and others CA338/2022, [2023] NZCA 174 and SC 66/2023, [2023] NZSC 101 (successful defence of the High Court judgment in the Court of Appeal.)
Body Corporate 355492 v Chestney & Others (“Oaks Shores”) [2022] NZHC1494 (application for review in complex litigation alleging negligent conduct by QLDC in issuing consents, inspections and code compliance for apartments – limitation – Building Act 2004 long-stop issues and strike-out.)
Body Corporate 384825 v Queenstown Lakes District Council (“Oaks Club”) [2021] NZHC 2327 (a building defects claim – 70 apartments – negligence – amended pleading – admission of supplementary briefs.)
R v D and Others [2021] NZDC 2772 [18 February 2022] (successful discharge on all charges arising out of Operation Inca, an extensive long-standing Police investigation arising out of the NZ Harness Racing industry and allegations of “race fixing” and “illegal betting”.)
Clark v Clements [2021] NZHC 2716 (successful defence of a claim of mutual wills, s 30 Wills Act 2007.)
WorkSafe New Zealand v Whakaari Management Ltd and others (counsel for White Island Tours Limited in the WorkSafe prosecution following the December 2019 volcanic eruption of Whakaari/White Island.)
Goodier v IAG New Zealand Limited [2019] NZHC 2176 (liability post land-slip event, insurer liability for land.)
Bruce and Willetts v IAG New Zealand Limited [2018] NZHC 3444 (standard of repair on EQ rebuild, general damages, insurer obligations.)
Kain and others v Public Trust [2018] NZHC 1547 (process and procedure, trustee application for directions.)

Memberships

New Zealand Bar Association (Vice President – South Island)
New Zealand Law Society
New Zealand Insurance Law Association