Cora Morrison

Profile

Cora specialises in complex commercial and civil litigation. She has particular expertise in large-scale contract and tort disputes, directors' duties, construction, regulatory compliance, IT and IP disputes, fair trading claims and trusts.

Cora has advised clients across a broad range of sectors, including insurance and financial services, information technology and intellectual property, transport, telecommunications and construction, as well as high net worth individuals in private wealth disputes. She has appeared in counsel in the Courts as well as in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration.

Market recognition

Member of NZILA (New Zealand Insurance Law Association)

Work highlights

Acting for a NZX-listed telecommunications service provider

in court proceedings for breaches of equitable, contractual and fiduciary duties, quantified at NZ $1b

Acting for a mortgagee

in successfully defending an urgent interim injunction application seeking to prevent a mortgagee sale following a failed development

Acting for a large Crown entity

in assessing the viability of pursuing a large construction company for breach of contract and negligence.

Acting for various insurers

in earthquake, health and disability, material damage and business interruption litigation

Advising a multinational professional services firm

in claims involving an IT subcontractor and the New Zealand Government for breaches arising from delivery of a human resources information management system for a government agency

Acting for a media organisation

in a long running dispute with its IT provider over various faults in upgrading a subscriber platform, including interpretation of the limitation clause in the IT contract

Acting for the beneficiary of a trust with a significant asset portfolio for trustees’ breach of duties and unlawful use of a power

Advising various insurers

on policy coverage and underwriting, and drafting insurance policy wordings

Defending defamation claims on behalf of a large national media organisation.

Acting for a landlord with a significant property portfolio in a long-running rent review dispute with its tenant in an arbitration.

Advising liquidators

on the merits of a breach of directors’ duties claim estimated at over NZ $1m in tax liability

Acting for a national scaffolding company

in a breach of construction contract claim, valued at over $500,000

Advising settlors and trustees

in asset restructures for intergenerational asset protection and maintenance, including continued governance issues

Acting for a large 3PL services provider against a multinational freight business over a complex dispute involving a partly written and partly oral contract for the storage and transport of shipping containers

Advising a national car park operator

on competition law breaches

Advising high net worth individuals and trustees

on relationship property issues, domestic trusts, asset planning, property and other private wealth matters

Experience

Sector/Expertise

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