Polly Pope

Polly is one of New Zealand's leading commercial disputes lawyers. She has been instructed in several of New Zealand's most significant disputes. Her areas of interest include class actions, financial regulatory enforcement, construction and projects, and restructuring and insolvency. Her client list includes a number of New Zealand’s largest listed companies, multinational corporations, major trading banks and financial institutions, and public sector organisations. Polly was appointed Chair of Russell McVeagh's Partnership in 2021.

Polly also accepts instructions as an arbitrator. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and of the Arbitrator's and Mediator's Institute of New Zealand, and a recipient of the Sir Ronald Davison Award for excellence in arbitral award writing.

Polly is "a very high-calibre litigator" and "commercial and results-focused." - Chambers and Partners, Asia Pacific guide 2020.

Polly is "recommended by peers and clients alike for her work in contentious insolvency and restructuring, as well as her complementary expertise in construction, infrastructure, financial and regulatory disputes." ­ - Legal 500, Asia Pacific guide 2020.

Polly is instructed in a range of high-stakes disputes for commercial parties. Her particular areas of interest include:

• Class Actions and Commercial Disputes: As class actions become increasingly important in New Zealand, Polly is winning instructions in both current and threatened class actions. Polly frequently advises and acts in matters concerning commercial contracts, disputes arising out of M&A transactions, and claims in negligence.

• Financial Regulatory Disputes and Investigations: Polly has acted for entities subject to investigations and enquiries by the Financial Markets Authority, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Commerce Commission, NZX, and offshore financial regulators.

• Construction and Projects Disputes: Polly has acted as counsel in confidential arbitrations and adjudications under construction contracts, and in negligence and tort claims. Her clients include principals, financiers, contractors, subcontractors and consultants. She has acted in international commercial arbitrations relating to major infrastructure projects, domestic arbitrations, adjudications, mediations and High Court proceedings concerning commercial and large-scale residential, and maritime projects.

• Insolvency and Restructuring: Polly acts for receivers, liquidators, voluntary administrators, and creditors. She has also acted in several of New Zealand's most significant solvent corporate reorganisations, takeovers, and returns of capital by way of scheme of arrangement under Part XV of the Companies Act 1993.

LLB (Hons First Class), University of Otago
MIR (Distinction), Victoria University of Wellington
FAMINZ (Arb.)
FCIArb.
Member, Society for Construction Law
Member, Restructuring, Insolvency and Turnaround Association of New Zealand

Polly is Chair of the Partnership, a member of the Arbitration Panel and Adjudication List of the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand, and acts as an Adjudicator for the Building Disputes Tribunal. 

She is an experienced advocate, and a member of the faculty of the New Zealand Law Society's Litigation Skills Course.

Co-author, Consumer Credit, Laws of New Zealand (LexisNexis).

Editor, arbitration chapters of Sim's Court Practice (LexisNexis). 

Co-author, The Practitioner's Guide to Global Investigations 2020 New Zealand Chapter (Global Investigations Review)

Co-author, ICLG: Class and Group Actions 2020 - New Zealand (Global Legal Group)