Sophie East

Partner Auckland

Contact Sophie

​​​​​​​She regularly advises clients facing regulatory investigations and proceedings, including by the Commerce Commission, the FMA, NZX and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand/​NZICA.

Sophie has acted as defence counsel in several high profile class action proceedings. She co-authors the New Zealand chapter of the Class Actions Global Guide, published by Thompson Reuters.

Work highlights

Bank disclosure class action
Acting for a major New Zealand bank in defence of a class action brought by customers alleging errors in disclosing loan details. 

Asia Pacific Village Group and Metlifecare proceedings
Acted for APVG in a dispute over APVG’s termination of a NZ$1.5 billion transaction to buy the Metlifecare retirement village business as a result of the emergence and spread of COVID-19.  

Feltex Carpets class action
Defence of the former directors of Feltex Carpets in a class action proceeding brought by a group of investors and funded by a professional litigation funder. This was the largest prospectus liability claim ever brought in New Zealand and the first class action.