Catherine Green

FCIArb | LLM (International Law) | PRI | A.AMINZ | Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration | GradDipBusStuds (Dispute Resolution) | PGDipBusAdmin (Dispute Resolution) | BA

Catherine has her own private practice as an arbitrator, adjudicator, and mediator taking appointments with respect to both commercial and construction disputes. She is also the Executive Director of the New Zealand International Arbitration Centre (NZIAC) as well as its related domestic registry services which cover a full spectrum of commercial, building and construction, and family and relationship disputes.

Prior to specialising in the design and delivery of private dispute resolution processes, Catherine practiced as a commercial litigator both onshore and offshore in New Zealand, London, and the Cayman Islands, gaining extensive experience in a wide range of matters, involving fraud, insolvency, contractual, financial services, tax avoidance and regulatory issues. These matters have included, among others, acting for liquidators of a Madoff-affected investment fund in relation to its investment and related large-scale litigation claims arising from the Madoff fraud, advising in relation to Royal Commission, Serious Fraud Office, and Securities Commission Inquiries, and acting for clients on a variety of commercial disputes across the globe covering the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa.

Catherine writes and presents frequently on a wide range of matters relating to private dispute resolution practice.

Career highlights:

• acting for the liquidators of Primeo Fund, a Madoff-affected investment fund, in relation to its liquidation and related large-scale litigation claims arising from the Madoff fraud;
• acting for a US aviation financing company in relation to a claim against a Cayman Islands incorporated entity following the seizure of an aircraft by the Brazilian authorities;
• acting for a Cayman Islands incorporated entity in defence of alleged misrepresentation claims following the collapse of investments in a Romanian real estate development;
• acting for a number of major Australasian banks in relation to various investigations by the Inland Revenue arising from structured finance transactions;
• acting for a major New Zealand telecommunications provider in relation to alleged discrimination claims brought by the Commerce Commission;
• acting for an engineering company with respect to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River Mine disaster;
• acting for individuals in relation to investigations by the Serious Fraud Office and Securities Commission (now Financial Markets Authority), and potential prosecutions by those bodies;
• acting for a major dairy company with respect to arbitration proceedings brought in relation to a claim for loss occasioned by the Christchurch earthquake;
• acting for a manufacturing company with respect to a protest to jurisdiction and stay application arising from a post-acquisition completion statement dispute;
• acting for a Kuwaiti company with respect to its potential civil claims against a New Zealand incorporated company arising from fraudulent activities;
• acting for a South Korean company in relation to claims brought against it for breach of contract;
• acting for purchasers of an Angolan-based distribution business in relation to various misrepresentation and misappropriation claims against the vendors;
• advising in relation to the Sport England Dutton Inquiry which was initiated to review the use and dissemination of lottery funds by the public body;
• advising entities in relation to claims arising out of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers;
• conducting an extensive investigation for a high-street building society culminating in a 100-page report into a suspected series of high-value mortgage frauds; and
• acting for a trade financing company in relation to allegations of fraud by a director of a German subsidiary, leading to a US$500 million claim by a foreign bank.

Publications include:

• Proportionality in dispute resolution (ReSolution Issue 18, September 2018);
• A fresh approach to relationship property disputes (Family Advocate, Winter 2018, Vol 9 Issue 4);
• Agreeing to disagree: default appointments of arbitrators in domestic arbitrations (ReSolution Issue 12, Feb 2017);
• INSOL World, 4th Quarter 2013 (Re Danka Business Systems Plc; Ricoh Europe Holdings BV & Ors v Spratt & Anor [2013] EWCA Civ 92, January 2015);
• Interim Relief in Aid of Foreign Proceedings (Cayman Islands, November 2014); In specie distributions – further guidance from the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal (Cayman Islands, May 2013);
• the Company Secretary’s Review (Lexi Holdings (in administration) v Luqman and others, 3 September 2008); and
• contributor to the second edition of Commercial Enforcement, the leading textbook on methods of enforcement of civil judgments.