Rowan is a highly regarded advocate with nearly 25 years of litigation experience. He has a broad range of expertise covering: contract, construction, property, negligence claims, defamation and regulatory cases. Rowan has a proven pedigree at the Bar having undertaken multiple trials, appeals, arbitrations, inquests and appearances before specialist tribunals. Cases of note include:
Haast Energy & Electric Kiwi v The Electricity Authority [2024] NZHC 195
Successful High Court appeal over-turning the Authority's first instance findings that the imposition of Scarcity Pricing, under the Electricity Code, did not give rise to Pricing Errors. The appellants also successfully sought interim relief (seeking to prevent the wholesale electricity prices being finalised for the relevant Trading Periods) and increased costs against the Authority (see [2023] NZHC 408).
Stone v Stone [2025] NZHC 622
Recent High Court trial regarding implied terms and contractual mistake (under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017).
Alexandra Trotting Club v Canam Construction Ltd
Lengthy construction arbitration before Hon R Hansen QC, acting for the principal in a 13-week hearing on issues of termination and defective building work.
Body Corp 406198 v Argon Construction & Auckland Council [2023] NZHC 3034
Counsel for the plaintiff in a High Court trial spread across eight weeks. Rowan was principally responsible for the liability claims against both defendants, both of whom were found liable in tort for defective construction and inspection (which is subject to an appeal).
Detection Services Ltd & Ors v Pickering & Anor [2019]NZCA 575
Successful claims involving breach of fiduciary obligations. The claim involved two High Court trials and two successful hearings in the Court of Appeal ([2018] NZHC 3310; [2019] NZCA 575; [2020] NZSC35 (application for leave only); [2020] NZHC 35 (quantum); and [2021] NZCA382).
GHL v Jet Trustees [2013] NZHC 1013
A shareholder's dispute under s174 of the Companies Act resulting in a seven-week High Court trial before Gilbert J.
R v Petricevic & Ors [2012] NZHC 665
Multi-week Judge Alone trial before Venning J related to breaches of the Securities Act and Crimes Act.
BFW v Shi [2022] NZHC 2136
Successful application for summary judgment acting for the defendant in defamation proceedings. The application was brought first in the District Court and was subsequently upheld on appeal in the High Court.
Rowan is a highly regarded advocate with nearly 25 years of litigation experience. He has a broad range of expertise covering: contract, construction, property, negligence claims, defamation and regulatory cases. Rowan has a proven pedigree at the Bar having undertaken multiple trials, appeals, arbitrations, inquests and appearances before specialist tribunals. Cases of note include:
Haast Energy & Electric Kiwi v The Electricity Authority [2024] NZHC 195
Successful High Court appeal over-turning the Authority's first instance findings that the imposition of Scarcity Pricing, under the Electricity Code, did not give rise to Pricing Errors. The appellants also successfully sought interim relief (seeking to prevent the wholesale electricity prices being finalised for the relevant Trading Periods) and increased costs against the Authority (see [2023] NZHC 408).
Stone v Stone [2025] NZHC 622
Recent High Court trial regarding implied terms and contractual mistake (under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017).
Alexandra Trotting Club v Canam Construction Ltd
Lengthy construction arbitration before Hon R Hansen QC, acting for the principal in a 13-week hearing on issues of termination and defective building work.
Body Corp 406198 v Argon Construction & Auckland Council [2023] NZHC 3034
Counsel for the plaintiff in a High Court trial spread across eight weeks. Rowan was principally responsible for the liability claims against both defendants, both of whom were found liable in tort for defective construction and inspection (which is subject to an appeal).
Detection Services Ltd & Ors v Pickering & Anor [2019]NZCA 575
Successful claims involving breach of fiduciary obligations. The claim involved two High Court trials and two successful hearings in the Court of Appeal ([2018] NZHC 3310; [2019] NZCA 575; [2020] NZSC35 (application for leave only); [2020] NZHC 35 (quantum); and [2021] NZCA382).
GHL v Jet Trustees [2013] NZHC 1013
A shareholder's dispute under s174 of the Companies Act resulting in a seven-week High Court trial before Gilbert J.
R v Petricevic & Ors [2012] NZHC 665
Multi-week Judge Alone trial before Venning J related to breaches of the Securities Act and Crimes Act.
BFW v Shi [2022] NZHC 2136
Successful application for summary judgment acting for the defendant in defamation proceedings. The application was brought first in the District Court and was subsequently upheld on appeal in the High Court.