Stephen Mills QC
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Degree Held:
Silk: |
LLB (Hons) University of Auckland 2002 2007 |
Areas of Practice
General Background
Professional Background
Recent Experience
Case History
Publications and Conferences
- Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
- Civil Litigation
- Defamation and Media
- Administrative & Public Law
- Building and Construction
- Tort/Trade Practices
- 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
- 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 -
- New Zealand Law Society, appointed member Auckland branch, 2009 -
- SPCA Prosecutions Panel 2009 -
- 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
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), trade practices, judicial review, construction disputes and regulatory issues.
- Saito Offshore Pty Ltd v Wing Hung Printing Co Ltd and others, CIV 2008-404-4621 (breach of licence agreement; misuse of confidential information): protest to jurisdiction; judgment on appeal pending: CA 437/2009. Counsel for plaintiff (2010)
- Counsel for individual defendant in international cartel proceedings; protest to jurisdiction (2010)
- Counsel for the plaintiffs in proceedings against regional and territorial authorities challenging the legality of fees levied against a number of Auckland marinas (2010)
- Commerce Commission v Bluestone Mortgages NZ Ltd and ors, CIV 2009-409-617 (Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act; lawfulness of credit fees). Counsel for the Commission (2010)
- Commerce Commission v Motor Trade Finance and ors, CIV 2010-409-26 (CCCFA; lawfulness of credit fees). Counsel for Commission (2010)
- Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd v The Grate Kiwi Cheese Co Ltd & another CIV 2009-485-1223 entitlement to raw milk under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act. CA hearing pending. Counsel for Commerce Commission
- Advice on liability of local authority for issuing CCC and notice to fix leading to loss of sales by developer (2010)
- Advising on liability for pumping pressure failures on offshore oil rig, including Letter of Request procedures (2010)
- Parihoa Farms Ltd v Rodney District Council CIV 2009-404-000537 (encumbrance securing covenant in gross; landowners right to discharge; clog on equity of redemption). Counsel for plaintiff (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)
- Counsel for defendant in proceedings against finance company directors and officers (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 (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 (2007)
- Hellaby Holdings Limited v ASB Management Services Limited & ors, HC Auckland, (asset acquisition). Counsel for fifth defendant (2007)
- 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 (2007-2010)
- Southgate Centre Ltd v Mitre10, HC Auckland, (rent charge dispute). Counsel for defendant (2007)
- HarvestPro Logging Ltd v Cordyline Holdings Ltd, HC Auckland, 2006 (PPSA) (2007)
- Intec v Engle and ors, HC Auckland, (application to set aside judgment entered on foreign arbitral award). Counsel for plaintiff (2007)
- 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, (judicial review proceedings; Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill; consultation requirements under part 6, Local Government Act 2002). Counsel for plaintiff landowners (2005)
- Downie v Matthews, HC Auckland, (sale and purchase dispute; specific performance). Counsel for plaintiff (2005)
- 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, (Scampi Inquiry, breach of confidence by media, interim injunction). Counsel for plaintiffs (2004)
- BT Funds Management Ltd v Murphy & anor, HC Wellington, (Securities Act; appointed as Temporary Representative and Amicus responsible for determining classes of investors) (2003)
- Karam v ACP Media Ltd & anor, HC Auckland, (defamation proceeding; North & South article on the Bain murders). Counsel for defendants (2003)
- Su-Chin Lin v Hall & ors, HC Auckland, (sale and purchase dispute; specific performance; third party claim against solicitors). Counsel for defendant (2003)
- DL Somers-Edgar & anor v Lee, HC Wellington, (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff (2003)
- Sreka Industries Ltd v Opus International Consultants Ltd & anor, HC Wellington, (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff (2002)
- 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, (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff (2002)
- Nordhoff v Chapman Tripp & anor, HC Auckland, (Quistclose Trusts). Counsel for defendants (2002)
- 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, (breach of US licence agreement). Counsel for plaintiff (2000)
- 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, (judicial review of public authority tendering). Counsel for plaintiff (1999)
- PPCS Ltd v NZ Rural Press & anor, HC Auckland, (defamation). Counsel for plaintiff (1999)
- 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 (1997-1999)
- Gosper & Olssen v Fletcher Homes Ltd & anor, HC Wellington, (test case with respect to the allegations against Fletcher Homes Ltd). Junior counsel for defendant (1998)
- 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, (defamation proceedings). Counsel for defendant (1995)
- 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, (defamation). Counsel for defendant (1992)
- McRae v Australian Consolidated Press NZ Ltd, HC Auckland, (defamation; new trial application). Junior counsel for defendant (1992)
- 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
- 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)