Polly Pope

Polly is a leading commercial litigator and arbitrator. She has a broad range of experience in commercial disputes, with particular interests in construction, insolvency and regulatory disputes and investigations. 

Polly is at the top of her field, having been named as a ‘Best Lawyer – Litigation’ in 2018 - 2016. Her client list includes several of New Zealand’s largest listed companies, multinational corporations, major trading banks and financial institutions.

Polly has had a distinguished career in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom, litigating complex and high stakes disputes. Her recent experience includes:

• Acting for Heartland Bank in obtaining High Court approval under Part XV of the Companies Act 1993 for a corporate restructuring by scheme of arrangement.
• Acting for voluntary administrators and receivers in a range of disputes.
• Lead counsel for principals in a range of disputes under NZS3910 construction contracts.
• Acting for financial institutions in respect of regulatory inquiries and investigations by the Financial Markets Authority, Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Commerce Commission.
• Lead counsel for the owner in arbitration proceedings under the rules of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand including a successful contested application to register the award as a judgment.
• Defending and negotiating the settlement of a multi-million dollar (and multi-party) claim relating to earthquake damage to a commercial building.
• Acting for the Australian liquidator of illegal investment schemes to successfully recover investor funds through High Court proceedings in New Zealand.

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

Polly was awarded Fellowship of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand in 2018. She was also awarded the Sir Ronald Davison Prize for excellence in arbitral award writing. Polly serves as a member of AMINZ's appointments panel, and sits as an adjudicator under the Construction Contracts Act, as a member of the panel of 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.

Polly is listed as a leading litigation lawyer for New Zealand by Best Lawyers® 2020 guide, and for Construction, Projects & Infrastructure by Doyles Guide 2018.