Dispute Resolution & Litigation

At Edmonds Judd, our dedicated Dispute Resolution and Litigation Team provides expert guidance and strategic representation across a wide range of legal disputes. We understand that disputes can significantly impact your personal or business life. We focus on delivering pragmatic and commercially sensible solutions.

We collaborate closely with you, ensuring you are well-informed and involved throughout the process. We advocate for you and will guide you through complex legal challenges. Our goal is to achieve the best legal and practical result tailored to your needs, whether that means pursuing litigation or resolving disputes outside the courtroom.

We are committed to resolving disputes efficiently and effectively using all the tools available to us. We recognise that alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation, negotiation, expert determinations, and arbitration might be better for you. These alternative methods often provide faster, less costly outcomes that can be flexible and tailored to your situation instead of the “win/lose” outcome that comes from going to Court.

However, if Court is what you need, then our litigators are there for you, and have appeared in tribunals and Courts across New Zealand. We can help with everything ranging from going all the way to trial to applications for summary judgment and urgent interim injunctions.

Gavel With Books On Old Wooden Desk

We have specialists in resolving disputes across a broad range of areas including:

 

  • Civil, Company and Commercial Disputes: We handle a broad range of issues arising from business and personal relationships. These include breaches of contractual obligations, restraints of trade, franchise disputes, debt recovery, partnership disputes, and shareholder disputes. Whether it’s resolving an issue around non-compliance with contractual obligations, restraint of trade provisions, a breach of confidential information, or recovering unpaid debts, we aim to find practical and timely solutions.

 

  • Estate and Trust Disputes, including Family Protection Act Claims: Disputes over inheritance, wills, trusts, or estate administration, often involving family members or beneficiaries. Whether you feel like you should have been included in a will and you want to bring a claim under the Family Protection Act, or you are concerned a trust isn’t being administered properly, or you are a trustee of a trust and you are facing claims from a beneficiary, we are here to assist. Our team can help resolve these sensitive issues fairly and efficiently. See our Personal and Estate Law page for more information about the range of services we offer in this area.

 

  • Property Disputes: Conflicts related to a sale and purchase agreement for real estate such as non-compliance with warranties or guarantees, disputes over land use, property rights, or tenancy issues. We can help, whether you’re wanting to place or remove a caveat, have an issue with an easement or you are arguing about compliance with the terms of a lease or even an argument over your neighbour’s fence.

 

  • Relationship Property Disputes: We can help you with disputes around the division of relationship property after you’ve separated. We can also help you with contracting out agreements (pre-nups). See our Relationship Property page for more information about our range of services around Relationship Property Law.

 

  • Employment Disputes: Whether you are an employer or an employee, we can help. Our team can assist with negotiation a resolution, including through mediation, raising or defending a personal grievance, or taking a claim through to the Employment Relations Authority (or the Employment Court). See our Employment page for more information about our range over services around Employment Law.

 

  • Media and Defamation Disputes: We assist clients involved in disputes over false, misleading, or damaging statements in traditional media or on social media platforms. This includes online defamation, where social media posts, reviews, or comments can harm reputations. We work with both the Defamation Act and the Harmful Digital Communications Act. We can also point you to some “self-help” solutions. We help both individuals and businesses protect their reputation or defend against unwarranted allegations.

 

  • Building and Construction Law: We have experience in disputes related to building and construction contracts.  Whether there are disputes over whether money should be paid, the quality of work undertaken, or delays in construction projects. We can help support builders, contractors, sub-contractors, and property owners.

 

  • Consumer Protection Issues: Disagreements related to consumer rights, including issues under the Consumer Guarantees Act, Fair Trading Act, and other consumer protection laws. We assist clients in resolving a range of claims such as those involving faulty goods and services, work or products that are not fit for purpose, misleading representations, including misleading and deceptive conduct in trade, or unfair practices.

 

  • Rural and Farming Disputes: Disputes concerning farming operations, including sharemilking, contract milking, land use, equine law, and rural contracts. Our team’s farm-specific expertise ensures practical advice and dispute resolution tailored to the agricultural sector.

 

  • Intellectual Property Issues: We handle copyright and trademark infringement disputes, helping clients protect and enforce their rights. Whether defending against infringement claims or taking action to stop unauthorised use, we provide clear advice and effective solutions to safeguard your intellectual property.

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