Darise Bennington

Special Counsel

Darise specialises in litigation and dispute resolution across many aspects of property, banking, trust, commercial, and company law. She works with clients to create dispute resolution strategies utilising alternative options such as arbitration and mediation – using her background and skillset as an arbitrator.

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Darise advises on complex asset recovery matters in insolvency and trust disputes, and also has a particular interest in corporate governance issues which involve directors’ duties and shareholder disputes.

Clients and peers describe Darise as the go-to problem solver for all curly questions and disputes that arise, providing sound advice and strategies with a high success rate.

Recent highlights

  • Representing a large corporate in the High Court in the removal of a land covenant, which impeded its ability to sell the land.

  • Representing a property developer in High Court proceedings and a mediation in relation to an encroachment, where the neighbouring landowners had built their house on an easement.

  • Representing shareholders and directors, both overseas-based and domestic, in prejudiced shareholder proceedings in the High Court.

  • Representing a liquidator in the High Court in relation to proceedings against a former director for conversion of company assets.

  • Representing an individual in the removal of a receiver over his assets.

  • Acting for an overseas-based settlor/beneficiary of a trust in respect of replacing a corporate trustee, and recovering trust assets that the director of the corporate trustee had attempted to misappropriate.

  • Acting for lenders in relation to an alleged fraud by a trustee borrower.

  • Acting for lenders in the defence of oppressive conduct proceeding.

Insights

Changes to Tax Laws – What Trustees Need to Know

6 December 2024

Court of Appeal confirms manufacturer's duty of care in leaky building cases

29 October 2024

Are we there yet? Probably not: Supreme Court extends limitation period for contribution claims

19 September 2024

We're driven by our values

They drive our client relationships and connections with our community, and underpin our achievements.

Excellence

  • Long-list Judge and Non-Fiction Judge in the Ngaio Marsh Awards (literary awards recognising excellence in crime fiction, crime writing, mystery and thriller writing).

Enterprising

Memberships:

  • Member of RITANZ.

  • Member of WIRI.

  • Fellowship in Arbitration from AMINZ.

  • Regular presenter on insolvency and directors duties at CAANZ events.

How can we help?

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