In our next Q&A with recently promoted senior lawyers we get to know Michael Cavanaugh from our Auckland office.

Tell us about your journey to becoming a Special Counsel at W+K

I started my career at an intellectual property law firm in Wellington with various IP disputes and helping clients’ IP portfolios. However, I wanted more civil litigation so soon found a role at a boutique litigation firm in Auckland. I was immediately thrown in the deep end and thrived with an abundance of opportunities to advise, appear, and advocate on some complex disputes, with insurance often a tangential issue. I then set out to Sydney in 2011, and worked at a competitor of Wotton + Kearney for a few years where I was properly introduced to insurance and found an affinity for D&O work. I moved back to New Zealand for family in 2014, to another competitor insurance litigation firm, and ended up working alongside W+K on a few challenging claims. Eventually in 2019, I was persuaded to join the W+K team and I haven’t looked back since.

What made you decide to become a lawyer?

I’ve always loved solving problems and persuading other people I’m right; what better career than being paid to do both! In all honesty, I can’t recall when or why I decided to study law. But it was when I started mooting at law school, distilling all the concepts into practice and argument, that I knew I had to be a lawyer.

What’s the best piece of advice (work or personal) you’ve been given?

It’s okay to be human, make mistakes or feel a way about something. It’s what you do next that matters.

What do you think is a major issue facing your area of insurance law?

There are few intertwined issues. The rise of class action culture in New Zealand, particularly influenced by the Australian experience and the lack of regulation of class action and litigation funders here, is probably the most spoken about issue. Added to that is the increased regulatory scrutiny, with increased resources for regulators, leading to more regulatory action and enforcement. Those actions and enforcements will inevitably mean a cascade of events on which class actions will be based. While that will inevitably include the traditional areas, like securities actions, there are other emerging areas where there risk is less understood in New Zealand, such as obligations for personal information, climate related financial disclosures, and wider corporate responsibility, which could also follow.

What do you enjoy most about working at W+K?

The people and the culture are great. The level of support and encouragement, along with the opportunities afforded are fantastic.

What do you get up to outside of law?

I try and keep fit with running, swimming and weightlifting. I’m encouraging my kids to swim and play football so I have an excuse to get in the water and run around more often too. Otherwise I’m a prolific consumer of music, a coffee snob and devourer of craft beer – three hobbies every parent of young children needs to stay sane.

Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t a lawyer, I would be…

Putting my chemistry degree to use, maybe by brewing beer.