Stephanie is an experienced barrister, having acted in many High Court cases involving property and commercial matters, trust and estate disputes and litigation arising from the Canterbury Earthquakes, as well as in complex criminal trials. She has also acted for companies, individuals and their insurers to defend a range of liability claims, disciplinary matters and regulatory prosecutions.

 

Stephanie regularly undertakes trial and appellate work in the High Court, Court of Appeal and in disciplinary jurisdictions. She has been appointed as Counsel to Assist the Coroner in inquests, as Amicus Curiae to assist with disclosure issues and, in 2020, to undertake an independent inquiry into Gloriavale Christian Community.

 

In 2021 she represented Canterbury homeowners in a class action relating to earthquake claim entitlements (Ross v Southern Response Earthquake Services Limited), first obtaining leave to intervene and then appearing on various interlocutory applications, most significantly to oppose interim funding orders sought by the litigation funder.

 

She was one of the founding members of Plymouth Chambers in 2019, having moved to the Independent Bar in 2018 after thirteen years as a litigation partner first at Anderson Lloyd and then at Duncan Cotterill. She is a member of the Canterbury Westland Standards Committee, a faculty member of the New Zealand Law Society Litigation Skills course and a member of the New Zealand Bar Association Education Committee.

 

In November 2022, Stephanie was appointed a King's Counsel.