Member Profiles

Since starting practice representing refugees in the mid-1990s, Simon Laurent has developed a strong reputation as a leader in the Immigration field. Over the years he has mentored a number of lawyers through the firm, in order to refine their legal skills and their ability to think inventively to solve real-world problems.  He has chaired and presented seminars for both lawyers and immigration advisers, and has been called upon to provide industry comment for the media including a number of recent radio and television interviews.  For several years Simon sat on the Council of the Auckland District Law Society. He was a founding member of the Society's Immigration and Refugee Committee, and was Convenor in 2006, 2007 and 2014. He has been a member of the New Zealand Law Society Immigration Committee. From 2010 to 2012 he was Chairman of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment, and is now an Honorary Life Member for his services to NZAMI.  Involvement in these professional bodies gives Simon insight into developing trends and issues in the New Zealand immigration space. It also provides the opportunity to influence change for the benefit of both clients and colleagues. 

I practise as a barrister, arbitrator, and mediator. I was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1984 and spent the first six years of my legal career doing non-contentious commercial and company work. During that period, which spanned the 1987 crash, I was involved in a series of instructions that propelled me into litigation work. I became committed to achieving effective dispute resolution through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation. I then gathered considerable experience in claims involving contract, fraud, fair trading, and tort law; company, director and shareholder disputes; insolvency restructuring, building and construction disputes; professional negligence; insurance; intellectual property; judicial review; relationship and matrimonial property; estates and trusts, tax administration, and trade practices. I also become primary legal advisor for selected clients. To those clients I am a trusted advisor and manages the appointment of other specialist lawyers for particular transactions and assignments

GREG is one of New Zealand’s leading specialists in insurance law and litigation. His knowledge and experience in acting for underwriters has resulted in him being instructed in numerous high profile insurance cases. He also has wide experience in commercial litigation, in particular litigation relating to contract and construction based disputes. A founding partner of Heaney Jones and Jones Fee, Greg has over 35 years of experience in practising insurance law and litigation. In September 2016 Greg established his third firm, Jones & Co with a view to cementing his position as a leading New Zealand litigation solicitor through a specialist firm and team of talented litigators.

Pauline is very well known in her specialist field of maritime law and is regarded as a leading lawyer in that area.  Her practice covers the full range of both “wet” and “dry” maritime work including Admiralty litigation, marine and aviation insurance, the international sale and carriage of goods, domestic carriage of goods, the law relating to freight forwarders, charterparty advice and the sale and purchase of vessels. Pauline’s clients include major marine insurers from both New Zealand and around the world, a number of New Zealand’s major exporting and chartering interests, and a significant number of freight forwarders and carriers, both domestic and multi-national. She is also regularly instructed by non-marine liability insurers where the claim has maritime aspects, such as claims against yacht and spar designers, ship repairers and builders. Pauline is named in numerous legal guides, including the Guides to the World’s Leading Shipping and Maritime Lawyers and to Women in Business Law, Best Lawyers and the Chambers Asia Pacific Guide. She is also admitted to the Supreme Court of Samoa.  In 2016 she was named by Best Lawyers as Auckland Maritime Law’s “Lawyer of the Year”. Aside from her legal practice Pauline is a director of Insured HQ Limited.  She is also Secretary of the Raglan Sailing Club.

Francisco Ortega González is an Attorney at-law and Notary Public graduated Magana Cum Laude at Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) with a Juris Doctor degree in the year of 1968. Is founder partner of Francisco Ortega & Associates where he acts as Director and Managing Partner. During his legal practice he has held a most ample Power of Attorney (Apoderado Generalísimo) for several national and foreign companies or branches thereof. Is a member of the Collegiate of Attorneys in both Nicaragua and Guatemala, and of this latter since 1990 when he was admitted to practice. His principal practice is carried out giving legal advice to local and foreign corporations in the areas of Corporate and Commercial Law, Banking and Finance Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Aeronautic Law, Energy and Mines, Real State, Processes for Private and Public Biddings, Legal advice on Franchise and Joint Venture Agreements, Telecommunications, Copy Right and Intellectual Property Law.