LawFuel Power List 2025
No. 8
LawFuel’s 2024 Lawyer of the Year, Ron Mansfield’s defence of eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne in the 2024 murder trial was New Zealand’s highest-profile criminal case in a generation—eight weeks of wall-to-wall media coverage, a jury note revealing “most people don’t think there’s enough evidence to support suicide” but acquitting on murder anyway.
That’s what elite criminal defence looks like: navigating evidentiary quicksand to secure a not-guilty verdict despite public sentiment.
His 2025 work includes the Jaz brothers’ appeal and other headline criminal matters, maintaining his position as the criminal bar’s rock star.
Appointed KC in June 2021, Mansfield combines 30+ years of experience with a client-focused warmth that juries respond to. His position on the List reflects sustained profile from the Polkinghorne case carrying into 2025’s appeals and new briefs.
