Laura O'Gorman

Laura is a member of the litigation and insolvency teams.  She has a broad background in commercial litigation with specialist expertise in Fair Trading and Commerce Act issues, international disputes, contractual and insolvency matters, and judicial review.

Laura appears regularly in the High Court and Court of Appeal.  Her recent experience includes:

• Acting for Auckland Council in Planet Kids Limited v Auckland Council [2013] 1 NZLR 485 (CA), a case about whether a contract was frustrated by the termination of a lease
• Acting for various mortgagees in Court proceedings to determine priority, remove caveats and enable completion of mortgagee sale processes (for example, Nags Head Horse Hotel Ltd v Forest Trustee Ltd [2012] NZHC 3271; ANZ National Bank Ltd v Uruamo [2012] NZHC 1895; Hart v ANZ National Bank Ltd [2012] NZHC 2839)
• Acting for the Electricity Authority in three appeals against its decision that an "undesirable trading situation" (UTS) arose on 26 March 2011 and that remedial steps should be taken to correct that UTS (concerning the spot price of electricity for a 7 hour period that day)
• Acting for Zespri Group and Zespri International in successfully defending claims brought by Turners & Growers alleging breaches of the Commerce Act (Turners & Growers Ltd v Zespri Group Ltd (2011) 13 TCLR 286)
• Acting for Five Star Consumer Finance (in receivership) on various matters including civil claims against directors
• Acting for the Electricity Commission to successfully defend a claim for judicial review of its decision to approve the North Island Grid Upgrade (New Era Energy Incorporated v The Electricity Commission & Anor [2010] NZRMA 63)
• Acting for the receivers in North Shore City Council v Stiassny & Anor [2008] 1 NZLR 825 (HC); [2009] 1 NZLR 342; [2009] BCL 88 (CA) concerning a priority dispute in an insolvency context
• Acting for Wellington International Airport in a judicial review about its setting of landing charges: Air New Zealand Limited & Ors v Wellington International Airport Limited [2008] 3 NZLR 87 (HC); [2009] NZAR 138 (HC), [2009] NZAR 138, [2009] NZCCLR 15 (CA). 

Laura has presented numerous seminars, including the New Zealand Law Society seminar on the New Discovery Rules (October 2011), and she is a member of INSOL New Zealand.

Laura has a masters degree in law from the University of Cambridge, and a commerce degree with a major in accounting and finance.