Presenters

Gary Hughes, Barrister, Britomart Chambers
Gary is a leading independent lawyer at Britomart Chambers, specialising in all types of regulatory investigations, enforcement and disputes, advocacy, and advice. His insurance practice has a focus on financial lines, D&O, or statutory liability cases. He has deep expertise in resolving issues with business crime regulators – especially the Commerce Commission, Financial Markets Authority, AML/CFT Supervisors, Serious Fraud Office, Privacy Commission, and other government agencies. Widely known for specialist work on Competition law and Anti-Money Laundering cases, Gary is a member of the NZ Law Society Law Reform Committee, Chair of the International Bar Association’s AML & Sanctions Experts committee, and author of the Thomson Reuters textbook AML/CFT Workflows & Guidance for Lawyers. At the cutting edge of regulatory issues, his work includes the DIA’s first AML/CFT pecuniary penalty case, Russian Sanctions Act issues, and defending the first criminal cartel prosecution in New Zealand. Gary has worked on insurance law disputes and problems throughout his 28-year career including at leading law firms (Clyde & Co, Chapman Tripp and Wilson Harle) and for a period in-house at Aon UK. That ranges from defending claims against directors/managers, to policy coverage disputes, to Commerce Commission or RBNZ prudential investigation of insurance companies. Gary’s pragmatic strategic approach also makes him a sought-after trainer of Boards and Professional partnerships. Admitted in NZ (1996), also qualified in England & Wales and Supreme Court of NSW Australia.


Julia Whitehead, Special Counsel, MC
Julia has extensive expertise as an insurance lawyer acting for insurers and insureds. She has advised insurers and reinsurers on representative actions, complex professional indemnity issues, and product liability matters. With a wealth of experience as a defendant lawyer, Julia brings a unique understanding of the defence approach to civil cases, and the insurance drivers that often underpin them. Julia is an experienced civil litigator appearing in a wide range of courts and tribunals. Her subject matter specialisms include construction law (including product liability), health law, and regulatory matters. She has acted for leading New Zealand and global engineering and architecture firms for more than a decade.