Olivia de Pont

Olivia is a commercial litigator with particular expertise in insurance law and regulatory matters.

Olivia has deep knowledge of insurance law.  She acts for major insurers and insureds, advising on policy coverage issues and representing clients on a wide range of disputes.  She regularly advises on disputes arising under house insurance policies, material damage / business interruption policies, professional indemnity and other liability policies, and life insurance policies.  She also acts for insurance brokers and is experienced in dealing with large, high-value, and complex brokers’ duties cases.

Beyond insurance, Olivia advises on a wide range of contract, tort, and restitution issues.  She assists clients with regulatory investigations, particularly in the financial services sector.  Experienced in dealing with regulators, she has represented numerous large financial institutions in investigations commenced by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) and the Reserve Bank (RBNZ).  She also assists financial institutions with compliance issues arising out of their financial products and services.

Olivia is experienced in representing clients in court proceedings and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).  She has a keen interest in multi-party litigation, having acted on large class actions. She is diligent, solutions-focused and is valued by clients for her excellent communication skills, pragmatism, and strategic thinking.

As a former Judges Clerk at the Auckland High Court, Olivia worked closely with members of the judiciary and gained unique insights into the inner workings of the court.  Olivia also has a Master of Laws from New York University, where she received a Dean’s Graduate Award.  She joined MinterEllisonRuddWatts in June 2018 from another large commercial law firm.

Olivia is a co-editor of the firm’s insurance industry magazine, Cover to Cover.  She regularly publishes articles and present seminars on the latest developments in insurance law.