Darise Bennington

I specialise in litigation and dispute resolution across many aspects of property, banking, trust, commercial, and company law. I work with clients to create dispute resolution strategies utilising alternative options such as arbitration and mediation – using my background and skillset as an arbitrator. 

I have advised 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 me as the go-to problem solver for all curly questions and disputes that arise, providing sound advice and strategies with a high success rate. 

Some of my recent experience includes:

• Acting for shareholders, both overseas-based and domesitc, on representative prejudiced shareholder proceedings, seeking company information from directors, and in relation to the conversion of company assets by the former director of the company.
• Acting for lenders in relation to an alleged fraud by a trustee borrower, and in the defence of an oppressive conduct proceeding.
• Acting for creditors in defence of insolvent transaction claims.
• 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 a property developer in relation to an encroachment, where the neighbouring landowners had built their house on an easement.
• Acting for a director of a company to overturn the appointment of a receiver.
• Acting for a large corporate in the removal of a land covenant, which impeded its ability to sell the land.
• Advising an Australasian corporate on its interactions with the Commerce Commission in relation to its terms and conditions and business practices.

She is a member of RITANZ (Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association of New Zealand Incorporated) and WIRI (Women in Restructuring and Insolvency). Darise has a Fellowship from the Arbitrators' and Mediatators' Institute of New Zealand Inc (AMINZ).