Stress and Litigation: Handling Challenging Situations for Clients and Lawyers (2024) (On Demand)

Dr James Farmer KC practices as a barrister in Auckland in the areas of commercial and public law.  He has a specialty in competition law.  He graduated LLM. (First Class Honours) from Auckland University and Ph.D from Cambridge University where he later lectured in law as a Fellow of Gonville and Caius College.  

He was a director of Air New Zealand from 1989 to 2003 and of Team New Zealand from 2003 to 2013.   He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in New South Wales in 1985 where he practiced for 10 years and in New Zealand in 1986.  He was a founding member of the New Zealand Bar Association and was its President in 2 periods for a total of 8 years.

Samira Taghavi is a criminal defence lawyer who represents defendants nationally. Having originally come to this country from Iran to undertake her Master of Laws degree, she has since contributed to New Zealand's justice system at several levels, including as a present member of the The Law Association Criminal Law Committee and of the Defence Lawyers Association Committee. Samira also has substantial experience as a lobbyist in the cause of trial rights for criminal defendants and has, in furtherance of that cause, authored numerous opinion pieces for mainstream publications.

Robert Lithgow KC was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 1982. Since 1985, except for three years at the Crown Law Office, he has practiced as a barrister sole. He was appointed King's Counsel 2007.

Robert has defended and prosecuted all kinds of criminal and regulatory offences including serious crime, minor and traffic offences, Serious Fraud Office prosecutions, Health and Safety in Employment Act prosecutions in defence of Crown entities and companies.

Robert regularly appears on Criminal Appeals at all levels and advising other practitioners and clients on appeal process and planning.

Dr Jo graduated from Otago University Medical School in 1992 and then moved to Sydney Australia where she gained her Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatry Fellowship in 2000. She started a NSW Institute of Psychiatry Child and Adolescent Fellowship in 2000 and completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Infant Mental Health in 2001. Dr Jo worked in private practice at Sydney Clinic from 2001-2004 where she worked with pre-schoolers, teenagers and adults.

In 2004 Jo moved back to New Zealand with her husband and two pre-school children and took up a position at the Mother’s and Babies Service in the public mental health service in Christchurch. She later worked in the area of rehabilitation for people suffering from severe mental illness. 

 In 2013 Jo moved back into private practice where she worked with teenagers and adults with a wide range of mental health challenges. In particular, she developed expertise in the mental health of people who are gender diverse and in ADHD. She also started working in the area of childhood trauma and its effects on teenagers and adults. She was involved in the NZ Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) guidelines on assessment of Dissociative Disorders.

In 2021 Dr Jo closed her private follow-up practice due to a cancer diagnosis and a book commission with Harper Collins. Dr Jo continues to provide guidance on the effects of severe childhood trauma as an ACC assessor.