Emily Walton

I am a general civil litigator with specialist expertise in disaster, insurance and construction dispute work.

In 2007 I returned to New Zealand after 10 years in London and Sydney practicing construction and insurance law in private practice and in-house.  Following the 2010/2011 Canterbury Earthquakes, I was heavily involved in residential and commercial High Court earthquake claims.  Recently I have applied the technical building knowledge and case law learnt during that time to other disaster claims arising from cyclones, landslips and floods.  I also have a professional indemnity practice, defending architects, engineers and other construction professionals, as well as insurance brokers against professional negligence claims.  This specialist practice compliments the general construction dispute work I do, including Construction Contracts Act adjudications and defective and leaky building litigation.

I am an experienced and skilled mediation counsel.  I appear regularly in the High Court, and I am approachable, pragmatic and commercial.

I am a member of the NZ Bar Association, New Zealand Insurance Law Association, Society of Construction Law, Canterbury Women’s Legal Association and Lawyers for Climate Action.  I am also a member of the Institute of Directors and a trustee of the YMCA.

Legal 500 Asia Pacific recognises me as a Leading Individual for my insurance work and in 2021 NZ Lawyer named me one of 12 New Zealand Insurance Law Stars.