Dr Laura Hardcastle

Senior Associate Wellington

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Dr Laura Hardcastle is a senior associate in Bell Gully’s litigation team. She routinely advises particularly public sector entities on a broad spectrum of public law issues, including consultation and decision-making processes, as well as defending judicial reviews. She also provides accessible and practical advice to clients to assist them in managing obligations under potentially complex and extensive regulatory regimes.

Laura also has significant expertise in matters relating to medicines and health law. In 2022, she completed her PhD in Law at Victoria University of Wellington, with the subject of her thesis being the future regulation of medical devices in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Work highlights

New Zealand Government Vaccine Strategy Task Force
Advised the New Zealand Government Vaccine Strategy Task Force on advance purchase agreements to secure a portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines for New Zealand, Niue, Tokelau and the Cook Islands.

Electricity Authority Transmission Pricing Judicial Review
Successfully representing the Electricity Authority in a High Court judicial review, and subsequent appeal, of its decision to publish guidelines for a new Transmission Pricing Methodology – the mechanism by which Transpower, as owner of the electricity grid, recovers costs from transmission customers.

PHARMAC advice
Advised PHARMAC on various matters, including proceedings in the Auckland High Court against Janssen-Cilag Pty regarding the supply of Zytiga (a treatment for prostate cancer) and the recent Coronial inquiry regarding lamotrigine (a treatment for epilepsy).