Bridgette White

LLB (Hons), BA –The University of Auckland – 2007

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Bridgette is an experienced commercial, regulatory and insolvency litigator. She has expertise in complex contractual and commercial disputes, regulatory investigations, enforcement activity and prosecutions (including by the Serious Fraud Office, Commerce Commission and Financial Markets Authority), fair trading and consumer protection claims as well as insolvency claims (including breaches of directors' duties). Bridgette is recognised as a leading insolvency and restructuring lawyer in New Zealand by Best Lawyers 2024 Guide.

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Throughout her career, Bridgette has acted on a range of high-profile cases and investigations across a diverse range of industries, including agricultural, manufacturing, construction, consumer and financial markets.

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Before joining Bankside, Bridgette was a senior litigator at Russell McVeagh. She has appeared in the District and High Courts and the Court of Appeal (as both sole and junior counsel) and has experience in mediations and arbitrations.

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Bridgette works on large scale matters and smaller disputes with equal ease and care. She is a results-focused, pragmatic practitioner and clients value her direct and strategic advice, passionate advocacy and client-centric service.

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General commercial litigation

· Acting for clients seeking urgent interim relief as both sole and junior counsel (including in relation to contractual breaches and Fair Trading Act claims).

· Acting for a client in relation to a lease dispute worth over $60 million in a four week arbitration.

· Acting for Zespri Group Ltd in relation to a judicial review brought by collaborative marketing applicants: Splice Fruit Ltd v The New Zealand Kiwifruit Board & Zespri Group Ltd [2016] NZHC 1531.

· Acting for a large multi-national client in relation to a manufacturing dispute.

· Acting for a publicly listed client in respect of defamation proceedings.

· Acting for a large, international construction company in a NZ$72m Construction Contracts Act dispute.

Regulatory investigations and proceedings

· Acting for AIA Insurance in respect of an investigation and proceedings issued by the Financial Markets Authority for breach of the "fair dealing" provisions under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013: Financial Markets Authority v AIA [2022] NZHC 2444. This is only the second ever proceeding brought under the fair dealing provisions of the FMCA and the first brought against an insurer, and accordingly, is an important precedent for FMCA proceedings.

· Acting for various clients in investigations and enforcement action by each of New Zealand's financial services regulators, including an investigation by the Commerce Commission in relation to compliance with the FTA and investigations into insurers and banks by the FMA.

· Acting for a large New Zealand company on New Zealand's largest SFO investigation.

· Advising clients, including retail banks, in respect of complex issues under the CCCFA and the FMCA and supporting them in their interactions with regulators in respect of the same.

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Insolvency

· Acting for and advising the receivers and liquidators of FE Investments Limited (in rec and liq), arguably the highest profile receivership of 2021. The matter involved complex security issues, cross-border disputes involving the ASX listed parent company and complex recovery claims.

· Acting for and advising the liquidators of Halifax New Zealand Limited (in liq), a highly complex liquidation of a trans-Tasman brokerage with $250m in funds claimed by over 11,000 investors.

· Acting for (as both sole and junior counsel) and advising banks, companies, liquidators and receivers with respect to creditors’ claims, breaches of directors’ duties, inter-company loans, Personal Property Securities Act 1999 and other insolvency issues.

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