Judge Brandts-Giesen shares the eulogy he gave to his friend and colleague Philip Watts.

The following is the eulogy given by Alan MacKenzie at Alistair Nicolson’s belated funeral in Wellington. Jock – as he was always known due to his Scottish heritage – was a much-loved lawyer in the city and a former Vice President of the New Zealand Law Society. He died on…

The prominent Christchurch employment and immigration lawyer Rob Davidson has passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 69. Mr Davidson was regarded as a big character and a prominent member of the local legal profession, but had a tough upbringing, leading to him becoming a “right tearaway” and…

The first New Zealand resident to be appointed Governor-General, Sir Denis spent 32 years as a partner in a large law firm and ended his legal career as President of the New Zealand Law Society. He also served a term as High Commissioner for New Zealand in Britain. He was born…

Laurie Southwick was the 17th elected President of the New Zealand Law Society. An expert litigator, during the 1970s he became one of the first specialists in the emerging field of planning law. Born in Fairlie in 1916, Laurie Southwick attended Rotorua High School and graduated LLB at Auckland University in…

Born in Napier, Storkey attended Napier Boys’ High School where he excelled academically and in rifle shooting, cricket and swimming. He was Dux in 1910 and won the national Navy League essay prize with “Why Britain must command the Sea”, but moved to Sydney in January 1912 after studying English…

Andrew Hooker Prominent Auckland barrister and solicitor Andrew Hooker died after a motorcycle accident in northern New South Wales on 11 March. He was aged 56. The managing partner of Shine Lawyers, where Andrew was a consultant, Angela Parlane, says Andrew Hooker was regarded as a guru in insurance law and standing…

Jock Wynter Blathwayt Defence lawyer Jock Blathwayt was a household name in the Wairarapa legal community. He practised law for nearly 60 years, working at the coalface of criminal law. He represented people that many would feel uneasy about doing but that was his job. He did it with passion and defended…

Daniel Winfield Wellington-based Duncan Cotterill partner Dan Winfield who died on 17 January will be remembered as a man with a great sense of humour who excelled as a lawyer, but strongly believed family came first when it came to managing the demands of his busy legal career. It’s never easy to…

Judge Ford A former Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Tonga and Judge of the Employment Court of New Zealand, Tony Ford died in Wellington on 31 January 2020. He was aged 77. An influential  reformer in the Tongan courts, a kind and patient Employment Court judge, he was a man whose…