John Morrison has had over 20 years’ litigation experience before tribunals and the Courts, and has been an independent barrister since 1995.  John has served on the faculty for the NZLS Litigation Skills course for many years. His experience has included most facets of litigation and appearances before all of the Courts and many of the tribunals.  He has experience in, and is available to accept instructions on, a range of civil litigation issues, but in recent years he has tended to specialise in dealing with:

• Claims and complaints against (and sometimes prosecution of) members of the professions
• Disputes under insurance policies around entitlement to cover and claims to indemnity
• Contract disputes, generally arising out of property dealings or building performance issues
• Property disputes under contested wills and/or involving family trusts
• Claims under the Public Works Act
• Commercial disputes in the context of closely held companies

In his approach to litigation John is always mindful of cost to his clients – both financial and emotional – and is committed to securing the best outcome for them. This means early identification of strengths and weaknesses, realistic assessment of risks and costs, and consideration of exploring resolution through mediation or negotiation. The many successful outcomes are confidential, which is also important for most of John’s clients.