Kirsten is the National Practice Group Chair for Russell McVeagh's Litigation team and a commercial litigation and dispute resolution specialist, with particular expertise in class actions, financial services litigation and professional negligence disputes. She also has experience in restructuring, turnaround and insolvency.
Before returning to Russell McVeagh in 2020, Kirsten worked in London for 15 years at international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, where she became a partner in 2009. Kirsten advised on some of the largest cases in the Commercial Court of England and Wales, including advising Chevron in a £1 billion class action and Royal Bank of Scotland in its £4 billion shareholder class action, following the bank's near collapse and government bailout. She has also been involved in a number of significant professional negligence cases, defending directors, accountants and lawyers.
Before moving to London in 2004, she was an associate at Russell McVeagh for three years, following two years as a clerk at the Court of Appeal in Wellington.
