Adina Thorn Barrister and Solicitor and Arbitrator
LLB (Hons), BProp
Adina is a dispute resolution specialist with nearly 25 years’ experience resolving a wide variety of property, valuation, construction, and general civil disputes.
She has particular expertise in claims arising from major public infrastructure, energy, and land use projects, including farming, horticulture, forestry, geothermal, and wind energy developments. These include claims under the Public Works Act 1981 and often involve parties with differing social, commercial and regulatory objectives.
Adina also works with major construction contracts including NZIA, NZMB, NZCB, NZS3910, as well as various large design and build contracts and development agreements and advises on various guarantees/insurance products. In addition, she has worked on matters involving complex financial instruments.
Adina has appeared at all levels of the New Zealand courts, including the Supreme Court, and has been involved in major multi-party proceedings. She has also appeared in many tribunals. She is respected for her pragmatic approach to case management and procedure. A defining feature of her work is her ability to distil and evaluate large volumes of factual and technical material across multiple disciplines. Many of these cases involve overlapping contractual and corporate structures.
Adina’s approach is strategy driven and outcome focused. She has worked on more than 50 mediations and settlement conferences, and in recent years has increasingly focused on arbitration and other binding dispute resolution processes. In doing so, she assists parties to achieve sensible, practical and durable outcomes. Adina is available for appointment as an arbitrator (or other forms of ADR) in both NZ and overseas.
Adina holds degrees in Law (LLB (Hons)) and Property (BProp) from the University of Auckland, and was the first woman in New Zealand to obtain both qualifications. She was recognised in the New Zealand Herald’s Legal Power List and is frequently sought for media commentary on property and valuation issues. She has also authored or co-authored a number of legal publications.
Outside the law, Adina enjoys keeping active and can often be found at the gym, walking, or cycling.
Contact Adina
Memberships
National Memberships
Member, Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association
Member, Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers (REAL)
Member, Auckland Property Investors Association
Member, Morning Toast (Remuera)
Affiliate Member, Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand Inc (AMINZ)
International Memberships
Arbitral Women
Publications
Law Commission
Adina was a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the Law Commission, for its final report ‘Ko ngā Hunga Take Whaipānga me ngā Pūtea Tautiringa | Class Actions and Litigation Funding’, which makes recommendations for reform of class actions and litigation funding.
Getting the Deal Through (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
Adina is the co-author of the New Zealand chapter of Getting the Deal Through: Litigation Funding and The Third Party Litigation Funding Law Review.
The Third Party Litigation Funding Law Review (a textbook) (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Adina is the co-author of the New Zealand chapter of The Third Party Litigation Funding Law Review.
Mana Whenua and the Ngati Apa Decision [2004] TaiHaruruJl 7; (2004) 1 Te Tai Haruru 140
Sole Author.
Find Adina on social media
Property Law in Practice
A series of short, informative videos addressing common legal issues that may arise with property ownership.
Problem neighbours?
Tree Troubles?
Know what you are buying into, Body corporate practical legal tips
Due diligence when buying a unit in a Body Corporate
Pre-settlement disclosure and the Body Corporate
Know and understand Body Corporate rules
Dealing with problems in your Body Corporate