Mike specialises in major public law and commercial litigation, including advising on strategic and tactical issues.

His specialist areas include public law, financial and energy litigation. Mike has appeared as counsel in a broad range of commercial and public law matters in the District and High Courts and the Court of Appeal. Mike advises a number of public and commercial bodies on public law issues.

His experience also includes advising banking and lending organisations on a variety of legal issues, such as insolvency, constructive trusts, mistaken payments, letters of credit, electronic payments and retail banking. He has also acted for and against major accounting firms in audit litigation, including the international BCCI audit case involving claims in excess of US$8 billion.

Asia Pacific Legal 500 2007/2008 features Mike as a leading individual in dispute resolution and he is also a recommended individual in PLC Which Lawyer? 2007. IFLR1000 recognises Mike as a leading lawyer in insolvency and restructuring.

Qualifications

BCA (Accounting), LLB, Victoria University of Wellington

Admitted

1991 New Zealand

International Career

  • Herbert Smith, London
    1995-1996

Publications

Contact

Email: Mike Colson

DDI: 64 4 915 6857

Mobile: 64 21 429 625

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Areas of Expertise

Recent Work

PHARMAC: Herceptin judicial review
Lead counsel for PHARMAC in a six day judicial review trial concerning its decision to fund a nine week course of Herceptin treatment for early breast cancer.

Waikato District Health Board: Lab services judicial review
Lead counsel for Waikato DHB in judicial review defending proceedings over the award of a laboratory services contract. The plaintiff discontinued proceedings just prior to trial.

Te Arawa Affiliates
Lead counsel for Te Arawa Affiliates in successfully defending a High Court proceeding alleging a breach of fiduciary duty against a negotiating body in relation to a Treaty settlement.
Also lead counsel for the post-settlement governance entity in a High Court and Court of Appeal hearing alleging breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract against the Crown. This litigation was commenced in an attempt to set aside the Te Arawa Affiliates settlement.

Origin: Ministry permit judicial review
Lead counsel for Origin opposing a judicial review proceeding by a competitor seeking to set aside an exploration permit which Origin obtained from the Ministry of Economic Development. Origin was successful in the High Court and Court of Appeal.