EXPERTISE

Polly has expertise in commercial, insolvency, construction, and financial regulatory enforcement disputes and investigations. She is trusted by listed companies, banks, insolvency practitioners, and public sector entities to solve complex and high-stakes problems.

Polly assists New Zealand companies with international arbitration and cross-border dispute resolution through Bankside Singapore. She also acts on New Zealand disputes instructed by overseas law firms, companies, and family offices.

  • Polly regularly acts for companies, shareholders, and directors in commercial disputes. She has experience across a wide range of sectors, including financial services, fast-moving consumer goods, oil and gas, commercial property, and primary production.

    She has assisted clients to navigate and resolve sale and purchase disputes, franchise disputes, commercial lease disputes, contractual termination disputes, negligence claims, and claims under the Fair Trading Act 1986 and the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. She has also advised on disputes involving force majeure, mistake, frustration, and equitable claims. Polly has acted for both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of commercial and tort claims.

    Shareholder Disputes

    Polly has acted for shareholders in disputes involving breaches of shareholder agreements, minority oppression, breaches of directors’ duties, and misrepresentation in the sale of shares. She has assisted clients to obtain remedies through litigation, mediation, and applications for access to company information.

    Class Actions

    Class actions are an increasingly important feature of New Zealand’s litigation landscape. Polly has acted for both plaintiffs and defendants in proceedings that have considered and helped shape key issues in this developing area of law.

  • Polly is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading insolvency and restructuring lawyers. She advises directors, companies, insolvency practitioners, and other stakeholders on a broad range of insolvency matters. Her experience includes receiverships, voluntary administrations, creditors’ compromises, schemes of arrangement, liquidations, and cross-border insolvency proceedings.

    Polly is consistently recognised by leading legal directories for her expertise in insolvency and restructuring. She is ranked in Doyle’s Guide 2026 as a Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Barrister in New Zealand and has been recognised by Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, IFLR1000, and Best Lawyers. In 2021, she was named Best in Insolvency & Restructuring at the Asia Women in Business Law Awards.

    Polly is a member of RITANZ.

  • Polly acts for principals, head contractors, subcontractors, and financiers in construction and infrastructure disputes. She advises clients across the full spectrum of construction-related issues, including contractual disputes, payment claims, project delivery disputes, and enforcement matters. Her perspective is enhanced by her experience as a decision-maker: Polly has been appointed to adjudicate more than 25 disputes under the Construction Contracts Act.

    Polly is recognised as a leading construction and infrastructure barrister. She is ranked in Doyle’s Guide 2026 as a Leading Construction and Infrastructure Law Barrister in New Zealand and was recognised as a Leading Individual for Real Estate & Construction by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific. She is also ranked by Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific for Dispute Resolution and Insolvency and Restructuring.

    Polly is a member of the AMINZ Construction Adjudication Panel and the Building Disputes Tribunal Construction Adjudication Panel. In 2018, she was awarded the Sir Ronald Davison Award for Excellence in Arbitration Fellowship.

  • As well as representing parties in arbitrations and adjudications, Polly accepts appointments to act as an arbitrator or adjudicator. Polly maintains offices in Auckland and Singapore, and accepts appointments to act in international commercial arbitrations as arbitrator or counsel. 

    Credentials and Appointments

    • Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) 

    • Fellow (Arb), Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand 

    • Appointed to AMINZ Arbitration Appeals Tribunal 

    • Appointed to AMINZ Arbitration Panel 

    • Appointed to New Zealand Dispute Resolution Centre Arbitration Panel 

    • Appointed to New Zealand International Arbitration Centre Arbitration Panel 

    • Appointed to Reserve Panel, Singapore International Arbitration Centre 

    • Appointed to AMINZ Construction Adjudication Panel 

    • Appointed to Building Disputes Tribunal Construction Adjudication Panel 

    • Sir Ronald Davison Award for Excellence in Arbitration Fellowship, 2018

  • Polly has extensive experience acting on disputes and investigations under regulatory statutes applying to New Zealand businesses. 

    In March 2026, Polly was appointed to the NZ Markets Disciplinary Tribunal, the independent body responsible for determining breaches of NZX’s market rules and imposing penalties.

    Financial Regulatory Disputes and Investigations

    Polly is experienced in advising on, defending, and resolving matters arising under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003, the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. She has acted for companies and individuals in proceedings brought by regulators and customers, including class actions.

    Polly has assisted companies to respond to regulatory breaches and investigations, including through the design and implementation of remediation programmes and engagement with regulators. She has acted in sensitive matters involving the Commerce Commission, the Financial Markets Authority, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the Overseas Investment Office, and international financial regulators. Polly is experienced in representing both individuals and companies in compulsory interviews and in responding to statutory notices and requests for information.

    Securities Markets Disputes and Investigations

    Polly advises on complex securities markets disputes, investigations, and enforcement matters. She has acted in matters involving allegations of market manipulation, breaches of market rules, and contraventions of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. Her experience includes representing a defendant institution in proceedings before the NZX Market Disciplinary Tribunal and advising an international investment bank on an investigation into suspected trader misconduct.

    Internal Investigations

    Polly works closely with directors and senior executives in responding to protected disclosures, suspected regulatory breaches, and significant operational incidents. She has designed and led complex internal investigations in New Zealand and internationally, including matters involving cross-border regulatory and compliance issues.

    Publications

    Polly Pope, Emmeline Rushbrook and Kylie Dunn, “New Zealand”, Practitioners’ Guide to Cross Border Investigations (Global Investigations Review, 2020)

    Polly Pope and Catherine Marks “Advising Clients in Public Inquiries - New Challenges” (LawTalk 864, 2015)

“Polly is a very strong advocate, with a hard working, lateral thinking and courageous approach. She is very versatile and dynamic.” – Client testimonial, Legal 500 Directory