New Zealand Law Society hours over holiday break

National Office(26 Waring Taylor Street, Wellington 6011). The New Zealand Law Society's national office is closed for the holiday break from 3pm Friday, 23 December 2016 until 8:30am, Monday, 9 January 2017. Urgent inquiries during the closure may be to Mary Ollivier, General Manager Regulatory, phone 027 671 9431. Inquiries by…

Cho Weon Yoo fined after admitting charge

Auckland lawyer Cho Weon “Matthew” Yoo has been fined $3,500 by the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal after admitting a charge of negligence or incompetence in his professional capacity. Mr Yoo has also been ordered to pay the New Zealand Law Society costs of $10,500 and to reimburse hearing…

Fiji needs to crackdown on police brutality, says New Zealand Law Society

The New Zealand Law Society is backing Amnesty International’s call for Fiji to crackdown on torture and brutality meted out by its police force and military. Amnesty International has released a report called Beating Justice: How Fiji’s Security Forces Get Away With Torture, which says an “ingrained culture of torture” has…

Keep limits on emergency legislation, New Zealand Law Society says

The New Zealand Law Society says legislative changes in the wake of the recent 7.8 magnitude Kaikōura earthquake should be limited to what is strictly needed to aid recovery. In an urgent submission on the Hurunui/Kaikōura Earthquakes Recovery Bill, the Law Society has told Parliament’s Local Government and Environment select committee…

Comprehensive legal salary guide for 2016 released

The New Zealand Law Society and legal recruitment specialist Hays Legal have released results of a survey of salaries and employment trends for New Zealand lawyers. The New Zealand Law Society & Hays Legal Salary Guide 2016 has been compiled from a survey of nearly 2,000 lawyers employed in-house and in…

Salary Guide shows work/life balance important for in-house lawyers

In-house lawyers rate work/life balance as the main reason for wanting to stay with their current employer, while the people they work with are most important for lawyers in firms, the New Zealand Law Society and Hays Legal Salary Guide 2016 shows. The Guide has been released by the Law Society…

High Court quashes adverse finding against Papali'i Lagolago

Porirua lawyer Papali’i Toti Lagolago has had an adverse disciplinary finding made against her quashed by the High Court. The New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal had previously found a charge proven against her. This was a charge of negligence or incompetence in her professional capacity of such a degree…

Richard Zhao suspended for four months

Auckland lawyer Richard Zhao has been censured and suspended from practice for four months from 1 December 2016 by the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal. The Tribunal has found a charge of misconduct against Mr Zhao proven. He has also been ordered to pay the New Zealand Law Society…

Richard Austin censured for unsatisfactory conduct

Whanganui lawyer Richard Geoffrey Warren Austin has been censured and fined $3,000 after admitting a charge of unsatisfactory conduct in the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal. His unsatisfactory conduct arose when he falsely certified signatures on declarations which were submitted to Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). Mr Austin did…

Name suppression granted to censured lawyer

The New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal has found a lawyer guilty of negligence or incompetence of such a degree as to reflect on his fitness to practise or as to bring the profession into disrepute. The lawyer has been granted permanent name suppression. The lawyer, Mr M, had been…