Stephen Mills QC

Areas of Practice
General Background
Professional Background
Recent Experience
Case History
Publications and Conferences

Areas of Practice

• Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
• Civil Litigation
• Defamation and Media
• Administrative & Public Law
• Building and Construction
• Tort/Trade Practices
  

General Background

Education

• Takapuna Grammar School
• University of Auckland
• University of Pennsylvania

Academic Awards

• Prizes in Equity, Family Law and Jurisprudence
• Post Graduate Scholar (overseas tenure)
• American Trial Lawyers Association Prize in Environmental Law

• Councillor, Devonport Borough Council
• Chairman, Planning Hearings Committee
• Chairman, Recycling Committee
  

Professional Background

• 1969-1970 Russell McVeagh – Law Clerk
• 1973 University of Michigan, School of Law – Teaching Fellow
• 1974-1978 University of Auckland, Faculty of Law – Senior Lecturer (tenured)
• 1979 Lewis and Clark Law School, Portland, Oregon, USA – Visiting Professor (Environmental Law)
• 1979-1980 University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Law, London, Ontario, Canada – Visiting Professor (Torts, Contract, Administrative Law)
• 1980-1986 Dalhousie University, Faculty of Law, Nova Scotia, Canada – Associate Professor, tenured (Torts, Contract, Administrative Law)
• 1986-2002 Chapman Tripp – Litigation Partner; Chairperson - National Board; Chairperson – Partner Admission Committee
• 2002-2007 Barrister Sole
• 2007-present Queen’s Counsel

• New Zealand Bar Association, Council member, 2004-present; Vice President 2009-present
• New Zealand Law Society, appointed member Auckland branch, 2009-present
• SPCA Prosecutions Panel
• Faculty Member, NZLS Litigation Skills Programme, 2009
• LEADR – Founding Director of the NZ Chapter
  
• Director, Dalhousie – Indonesia Environmental Law Programme
  
• Director, Environmental Defence Society Inc 1973-1978
  

Recent Experience

During my time at the Bar I have been involved in a wide range of work. This has principally been in the areas of commercial/contractual disputes, defamation, privacy and related media areas (acting for both plaintiffs and defendants), judicial review, construction disputes and regulatory issues.

Case History

• Counsel for the Commerce Commission in CCCFA proceedings (2009)
• Counsel for the Commerce Commission in proceedings under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (2009)
• Counsel for defendants in international cartel proceedings (2009)
• Energizer NZ Limited v Panasonic NZ Limited, CIV 2009-404-4087 (Fair Trading Act; interim injunction). Counsel for Panasonic (2009)
• Peters v TVNZ and another, CIV 2004-404-311 (Defamation Act; successful application for leave under s 41). Counsel for Winston Peters (2009)
• Arbitrator: lease dispute (2009)
• Saito Offshore Pty Ltd v Wing Hung Printing Co Ltd and others, CIV 2008-404-4621 (breach of licence agreement; misuse of confidential information). Counsel for plaintiff (2009)
• Counsel for defendant in proceedings against finance company directors and officers (2009)
• Counsel for plaintiff in proceedings involving the encumbrancers right to discharge an encumbrance and set aside a covenant in gross (2009)
• Counsel for plaintiff in professional liability claim (2009)
• Counsel for a major local authority in an arbitration regarding compensation under the Public Works Act (2008)
• Auckland Regional Council v Rodney District Council and Parihoa Farms Limited, HC Auckland, 2007 (judicial review proceedings brought by the ARC to set aside a resource consent for construction of a house overlooking the Te Henga Walkway on the Muriwai-Bethells coast). Counsel for Parihoa Farms Limited
• Hellaby Holdings Limited v ASB Management Services Limited & ors, HC Auckland, 2007 (asset acquisition). Counsel for fifth defendant
  
• Advice on the ‘alternative solutions’ provisions of the Building Act (judicial review issues) (2007)
  
• Commerce Commission v Cards NZ Ltd & ors, HC Wellington, 2006 (Commerce Act, ss27, 30). Second counsel for third defendant
  
• Southgate Centre Ltd v Mitre10, HC Auckland, 2007 (rent charge dispute). Counsel for defendant
  
• HarvestPro Logging Ltd v Cordyline Holdings Ltd, HC Auckland, 2006 (PPSA)
  
• Intec v Engle and ors, HC Auckland, 2007 (application to set aside judgment entered on foreign arbitral award). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Arbitration – construction dispute; breach of contract, rectification and estoppel. Counsel for the contractor (2006)
  
• Defamation proceedings in Fiji against the Fiji Times (internet issues). Counsel for plaintiffs (2006) The Queen v Patel, HC Auckland, 2005; CA, 2006 (application to set aside witness summons issued against a senior television journalist) Counsel for journalist
  
• Independent Counsel, appointed to determine relevance and privilege issues with respect to documents seized under warrant by the Commerce Commission (price-fixing allegation) (2005)
  
• Parihoa Farms Ltd & ors v Rodney District Council & ors, HC Auckland, 2005 (judicial review proceedings; Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill; consultation requirements under part 6, Local Government Act 2002). Counsel for plaintiff landowners
  
• Downie v Matthews, HC Auckland, 2005 (sale and purchase dispute; specific performance). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Hosking v Runting & anor [2003] 3 NZLR 385; [2005] 1 NZLR 1 (CA) (tort of privacy). Counsel for intervener
  
• State Services Commissioner & ors v Pauanui Publishing Ltd, HC Auckland, 2004 (Scampi Inquiry, breach of confidence by media, interim injunction). Counsel for plaintiffs
  
• BT Funds Management Ltd v Murphy & anor, HC Wellington, 2003 (Securities Act; appointed as Temporary Representative and Amicus responsible for determining classes of investors)
• Karam v ACP Media Ltd & anor, HC Auckland, 2003 (defamation proceeding; North & South article on the Bain murders). Counsel for defendants
  
• Su-Chin Lin v Hall & ors, HC Auckland, 2003 (sale and purchase dispute; specific performance; third party claim against solicitors). Counsel for defendant
  
• DL Somers-Edgar & anor v Lee, HC Wellington, 2003 (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Sreka Industries Ltd v Opus International Consultants Ltd & anor, HC Wellington, 2000 (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• A-G v Ireland and Langwell [2002] 2 NZLR 221 (CA) (judicial review; interpretation of s58 of the Reserves Act). Counsel for plaintiffs/respondents
  
• Kamp v Smith, DC Napier, 2001 (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Nordhoff v Chapman Tripp & anor, HC Auckland, 2002 (Quistclose Trusts). Counsel for defendants
  
• University of Auckland Senior Common Room v Desmoné Ltd, HC Auckland, (2002) 7 NZBLC 103,580. Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Lange v Atkinson & anor, [1997] 2 NZLR 22 (HC); [1998] 3 NZLR 424 (CA); [2001] 1 NZLR 257 (PC); [2001] 3 NZLR 385 (CA) (defamation; qualified privilege for political speech). Junior counsel for defendants
  
• Cedco Publishing Co Ltd v Hodder Moa Beckett and Geddes Publishing Co (UK) Ltd, HC Auckland, 2000 (breach of US licence agreement). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Complaint by Allied Domecq to the Standing Committee of the New Zealand Stock Exchange (Lion Nathan acquisition of Montana; breach of Securities Act and Stock Exchange Rules). Junior counsel for Allied Domecq
  
• Commerce Commission v Alpha Club, (2000) NZBLC, Vol 6 103,062 (prosecution under s24 of the Fair Trading Act; pyramid selling). Counsel for defendant
  
• ICC arbitration (breach of licensing agreement). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Fullers Northland Ltd v ARC & anor, HC Auckland, 1999 (judicial review of public authority tendering). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• PPCS Ltd v NZ Rural Press & anor, HC Auckland, 1999 (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff
  
• Counsel for Fletcher Homes Ltd in respect of claims by home owners under the Fair Trading Act alleging over-valued new homes:
  
  • 600 claimants
  • Designed ADR process 
  • Overall responsibility for litigation strategy 
• Gosper & Olssen v Fletcher Homes Ltd & anor, HC Wellington, 1998 (test case with respect to the allegations against Fletcher Homes Ltd). Junior counsel for defendant
• Gosper v Licensing (NZ) Ltd and anor, (1997) 11 PRNZ 58 (Fair Trading Act). Counsel for defendant
  
• INL v Australian Consolidated Press NZ Ltd [1996] 3 NZLR 722 (passing off). Counsel for defendant
  
• TV3 Network Services Ltd v The News Corporation, HC Auckland, (1996) 7 TCLR 60 (dispute over television rights to SuperLeague). Counsel for first three defendants
  
• Geddes v Australian Consolidated Press NZ Ltd & ors, HC Auckland, 1995 (defamation proceedings). Counsel for defendant
  
• Telecom Corporation v Auckland City Council [1995] 3 NZLR 489 (judicial review; rateability of utilities). Junior counsel for plaintiff
  
• Benjamin Developments Ltd v Robt. Jones (Pacific) Ltd [1994] 3 NZLR 189 (contract). Junior counsel for plaintiff
  
• Knox v Australian Consolidated Press NZ Ltd, HC Auckland, 1992 (defamation). Counsel for defendant
  
• McRae v Australian Consolidated Press NZ Ltd, HC Auckland, 1992 (defamation; new trial application). Junior counsel for defendant
  
• General Communications Ltd v DFC [1990] 3 NZLR 406 (Quistclose Trusts). Junior counsel (HC)
  
• GSH Finance Pty Ltd v Chase Securities Ltd [1989] 1 NZLR 481 (contract). Junior counsel (CA)
  
• Arbitration between Hawkins Construction Ltd and the Auckland City Council regarding the Aotea Centre (construction dispute). Junior counsel
  

Publications and Conferences 

• Judicial review: jurisdiction and justiciability - the public/private divide, Auckland District Law Society CLE seminar, 8 September 2009
• Litigation funding, New Zealand Bar Association Annual Conference, Wellington 12 September 2009
• The impact of cyberspace on domestic law – defamation, New Zealand Bar Association 1st International Conference, Sydney, Australia, August 2008
• Deterring breach of contract: are equitable remedies the answer? NZ Lawyer, 27 April 2007, page 20
• More Effective Management of Defamation Cases [2006] NZ Law Review 525
• Specific Performance: Sale of Land [2006] NZLJ 196
• Equity as a Source of Contract Remedies, LexisNexis 6th Annual Contract Law Conference, 21 March 2007
• Legal Research Foundation Seminar on Media Law, More Effective Management of Defamation Cases, June 2006
• Arbitration versus Litigation: Comparative Costs Recovery Issues, First NZ Arbitration Day Conference, June 2006
• Equity as a Source of Contract Remedies, LexisNexis Contracts Master Class, July 2005
• ADLS Seminar, Privacy Law
• Solomon, Feldthusen & Mills, Cases and Materials on the Law of Torts (Carswells) 1st and 2nd Editions
• Defamation Section, Canadian Digest (3rd Edition)
  

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