Lauren Lindsay

• Diploma in International Arbitration, CIArb – 2018
• LLM – European University Institute, Italy – 2009
• LLB (Hons) – University of Auckland – 2006
• BSc (Biological Sciences) – University of Auckland – 2006

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Lauren is a commercial barrister with a broad practice in commercial law, international arbitration and public international law. Lauren is also a founding member of Bankside Singapore.

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Lauren appears as counsel in court, in arbitration, in mediations and in expert determination. Lauren has specialties in insurance, arbitration law, corporate and science and technology-based disputes. Lauren also sits as an international arbitrator with experience in arbitrations under the LCIA, SIAC, ICC, HKIAC and UNCITRAL Rules.

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Lauren is consistently recognised as a leading commercial barrister in Chambers & Partners since 2020 and in Lexology (formerly Who’s Who) since 2022. She is one of a handful of New Zealand lawyers to be recommended for her skills in both litigation and arbitration, being ranked in three separate categories in Lexology including “National Leader in Australia & New Zealand for Arbitration”, “Commercial Litigation – Future Leader (Non-Partner)” and “Arbitration – Future Leader (Non Partner)”.

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She is currently acting in a long-running insurance/reinsurance dispute in the New Zealand courts (currently before the Court of Appeal), including a reinsurance-related international arbitration. She is also instructed by a class action specialist firm to act on behalf of two representative plaintiffs in an action against pharmaceutical companies in connection with the sale of over-the-counter nasal decongestants.

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Lauren frequently acts pro bono, including via Te Ara Ture, on a range of matters including property disputes, residential tenancies disputes and contractual disputes.

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Lauren also provides support on contentious corporate and transactional issues including advising on the drafting of dispute resolution clauses for all types of contracts. Lauren has expertise in advising on public international law, on force majeure clauses and on issues concerning frustration of contracts.

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Lauren is admitted in New Zealand and England & Wales. She has been a fellow of CIArb since 2018 and is also a fellow of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ) and ACICA.

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Lauren is currently serving a three-year term as a New Zealand member of the ICC Commission on ADR and Arbitration, renewed in 2025.

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Lauren is the AMINZ Professional Studies Deputy Director in Arbitration, responsible for overseeing the arbitration fellowship programme – the Institute’s highest arbitration qualification.

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Lauren holds an LLB (Hons) and BSc (majoring in genetics) from the University of Auckland and completed her LLM from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, on a full scholarship.

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Lauren grew up in Vanuatu, in the South West Pacific. She is a bilingual French and English speaker and also has a working knowledge of Spanish.

Insurance dispute between a Trust and Insurers (Christchurch High Court)

‍Lauren acts for the trust policyholder in a dispute with insurers arising out defective repairs undertaken after the Christchurch earthquake. The case involves several issues including election to repair, the scope and application of an insurer’s duty of good faith and consequential loss. 

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Contractual and IP dispute between US company and Chinese company (HKIAC Rules, Hong Kong)

‍Lauren acted for a respondent Chinese company in an international commercial arbitration worth over USD100 million arising under a technology transfer licensing agreement.

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Tower Insurance v Earthquake Commission (Auckland High Court)

‍Lauren acted for Tower insurance in its claim against EQC, arising out of the Christchurch Earthquake Sequence and the proper allocation of respective claim settlements for over 3,000 properties. The case concerned equitable subrogation, equitable contribution and recoupment.

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Biotechnology Company v Wholesale Pharmaceutical Company (LCIA Rules, London)

‍Lauren sits as a co-arbitrator in a dispute arising under an international agreement for the supply of medical devices governed by English Law.

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Dispute between US Company and Chinese Company (ICC Rules, London)

‍Lauren acted as counsel for a large multinational Chinese company in the ICT sector in a multi-billion dollar, multi-jurisdictional licensing and competition law dispute concerning the fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing of standard essential patents.

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‍Dispute between Malaysian entity and Asian state (ICSID, Washington DC)

‍Lauren acted for an Asian state, defending a claim of expropriation by a Malaysian developer, concerning a multi-billion dollar development. The case concerned the still novel claim of judicial expropriation.

Lauren is ranked Band 2 in Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific and Global Guides 2025 and 2026 for Dispute Resolution – The Bar.

"Lauren is intelligent, considered and builds great relationships."

"Lauren Lindsay displayed excellent judgement and a thorough understanding of the evidence and relevant law."

"Lauren is strategic and I recommend her to anybody."

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Lauren is ranked as a Leading Barrister Sole in the Legal 500 Asia Pacific Rankings 2024 for commercial disputes: “Lauren is a polished and astute advocate.”

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Lauren is ranked in Who's Who Legal 2023 – Arbitration Future Leader, Commercial Litigation and Arbitration (Australia and New Zealand).

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• Polly Pope and Lauren Lindsay “Confidentiality in Commercial Litigation and Arbitration” (NZLS CLE, 2019)
• Lauren Lindsay and Jovana Nedeljkov “Damages for Breach of Contract” (Thomson Reuters, Practical Law, 2019)
• Anna Kirk and Lauren Lindsay "Arbitration" [2020] New Zealand Law Review 639
• L Lindsay and S Trafford, New Zealand Chapter in "Force Majeure and Hardship in the Asia Pacific Region" (2021, Juris Publishing)
• Hon Paul Heath KC, Dr Anna Kirk, Ben Prewettt & Lauren Lindsay International Arbitration Laws and Regulations in New Zealand (ICLG International Arbitration 2022) (August 2022)