Leading New Zealand litigation funder, LPF Group, has further strengthened its board line up with the appointment of former High Court and Court of Appeal Judge Robert Dobson KC as a director.

Current Chairman Bill Wilson KC will move to a new position as Emeritus Chair, from where he will provide continuity and ongoing support to the LPF board.

Phil Newland, who founded LPF 16 years ago says Bill Wilson has played a significant role in its development as New Zealand’s leading litigation funding firm since joining the board in 2013. Mr Newland thanks him for his integral role in pioneering the development of litigation funding in New Zealand and growing its acceptance as a critical tool in accessing justice.

“With Bill’s strong support LPF has assisted many thousands of New Zealanders to achieve redress, including in leading cases such as Mainzeal, Kiwifruit and in the recent CBL and Intueri shareholder class actions.”

Mr Newland says, “With Bill graciously accepting the Emeritus Chair role, LPF is delighted to have Mr Dobson, a proven jurist with substantial legal and judicial experience join the board at such an important time for the development of class action law in New Zealand.”

Mr Dobson is a highly experienced Judge and commercial lawyer. He was appointed as a Judge in the High Court in 2007, and a member of the Commercial Panel of the High Court from its inception in 2017 through to his retirement from the bench in 2020. Following a period as an acting Judge in the Court of Appeal in 2022, Mr Dobson resumed his practice at Stout Street Chambers (Wellington) as an arbitrator and mediator.

Mr Newland says a new legal landscape of consumer accountability is developing in New Zealand. He points to the granting of opt-out orders that remove barriers to justice for plaintiffs and the Court of Appeal recently granting New Zealand’s first ever common funding order, enabling plaintiffs in the banking class action case to match the financial resources of two of New Zealand’s major trading banks.

Mr Dobson says he’s delighted to be taking up this new role with LPF, adding that he has a strong interest in how it is helping class action law to grow in New Zealand.

“Having observed LPF’s role from a different perspective for many years I now look forward to playing a part in continuing the development of litigation funding and assisting access to justice. I am very much looking forward to joining LPF in helping meritorious cases attract funding in the pursuit of justice.”

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