David Goddard QC
10. One of the country’s ‘star’ barristers, David Goddard QC continues to be one of the leading silks, notwithstanding his leave of absence from mid 2018 to study and write in New York.
David Goddard QC is the most successful appellate lawyer appearing in the Supreme Court, David Goddard’s list of appellate successes rank him as one of the most influencial lawyers of the current generation.
A jurist-in-waiting he inhabits Wellington’s pre-eminent Thorndon Chambers and practices across a wide variety of commerical and public law, adding a dash of contract and international law to the mix.
A QC since 2003 he has also been extensively involved in policy and law reform issues, as well as representing the government on significant negotiations, conducting a Ministerial inquiry into ACC Funding, supplying commercial law reform advice to the government and helping shape the nature of commercial law through his wide-ranging commercial cases.
In 2016 and 2017 prior to his departure overseas he was involved in his appearance for Carter Holt Harvey over alleged leaky school buildings, appearing for US company Americhip over the “catch me if you
can” fraud involving two former employees, acting for 40 hip replacement clients suing the manufacturer, acting for Huka Lodge Alex van Heeren (above) in his challenge of a US$25 million Court of Appeal judgment and appearing for Bill English and Paula Bennett in a dispute over the sale of State housing to commercial providers in Tauranga.
A Rhodes scholar and former Chapman Tripp partner, lecturer and author he is inhabits a star still in its ascendancy notwithstanding a small ranking drop this year.
