---
title: "About | Wakatipu Chambers — Queenstown Barristers"
description: "About Wakatipu Chambers — independent barristers Piers Blomfield and Brett Harris sharing a Queenstown set, practising criminal, family, civil and commercial law."
url: https://barristers.net.nz/about/
---
# About Wakatipu Chambers

> Independent barristers Piers Blomfield and Brett Harris — a modern Queenstown set practising across criminal, family, civil and commercial law.

Wakatipu Chambers brings together two independent barristers under one Queenstown roof — founding members Piers Blomfield and Brett Harris. Each practises on his own account while sharing the premises, resources and collegiality of a modern set.

Our members appear across criminal, family, civil and commercial matters in the District and High Courts — decades of trial experience with a genuine local presence in the Queenstown-Lakes district.

As a barristers' chambers, each member is instructed independently, so clients can be matched to the barrister whose experience best fits their matter — with the shared strength of the set behind them.

## Two founding barristers

### Piers Blomfield

Criminal, family and immigration barrister with 25+ years' experience across New Zealand and Australia. Former prosecutor and founder of Wakatipu Chambers.

I am a former prosecutor who lived in Australia for nearly 30 years before returning to New Zealand. I have more than 25 years' experience in criminal law and as a specialist family violence prosecutor, and I have instructed in hundreds of trials and thousands of sentences across the full range of criminal offences and family law issues.

I ran a law firm in New South Wales for 10 years before returning to Queenstown — the place where I grew up — and founding Wakatipu Chambers at 36 Shotover Street. From chambers I attend to criminal law, family law, immigration and family protection matters across New Zealand, with online video consultations available nationwide. I still hold a practice certificate in New South Wales and can assist with work in Australia if required.

My practice focuses on family law, family protection and criminal defence representation, with a background as a Family Protection Act estate litigation lawyer. I take on difficult relationship breakdowns, relationship property matters, and family, criminal and Will challenge matters. I also apply for visas on behalf of clients to both New Zealand and Australia. Appointments can be conducted online or in person.

Phone: +64 22 068 5117
Email: pd@blomfieldlegal.co.nz
Website: [blomfieldlegal.co.nz](https://www.blomfieldlegal.co.nz)

**Qualifications**
- Bachelor of Arts (SCU)
- Bachelor of Laws (SCU)
- Diploma of Policing (CSU)
- Diploma of Legal Practice (ANU)
- Master of Laws (UOW) Criminal Prosecutions
- Master of Laws (NZCOL) (Applied Law)

**Memberships & admissions**
- Admitted as a barrister and solicitor in the High Court of New Zealand
- Admitted as a legal practitioner in the Supreme Court of New South Wales
- Admitted as a lawyer in the High Court of Australia
- Member of the NZ Law Society
- Member of the NZ Bar Association
- Member of the NZ Criminal Bar Association
- Member of the NZ Law Society Family Law Section
- Member of the NSW Law Society
- Graduate Fellow of the NZ College of Law
- Accreditation NZ Legal Aid Family Law and Criminal Law lead provider

**Practice areas**
- **Criminal Defence** — Defence across the District and High Courts, from first appearance and bail through to trial and sentencing.
- **Traffic & Driving Offences** — Drink driving and traffic charges, limited licence and s94 applications, and Clean Slate advice.
- **Relationship Property & Separation** — Separation agreements, relationship property division and contracting out (prenup) agreements.
- **Care of Children & Parenting** — Parenting arrangements, care and contact proceedings and Family Dispute Resolution, centred on the children.
- **Family Protection & Estates** — Family Protection Act claims and estate litigation, including Will challenges, anywhere in New Zealand.
- **Immigration Law** — Visa applications and immigration matters for both New Zealand and Australia, run online or in person.

### Brett Harris

Civil and criminal (regulatory) defence barrister and commercial mediator. At the independent bar since 2006; a founding member of Wakatipu Chambers.

As a solicitor (admitted in May 1995), I was always keen to put my hand up for any insurance work in Wanaka / Queenstown. In fact, shortly after I moved to the Bar in Auckland as a Barrister (in July 2006) I made a bold decision to buy a small place in central Queenstown.

So, I feel like I have been a pseudo–Central Otago “local” since 2007 and I was thrilled to be invited to be a founding member of Wakatipu Chambers in central Queenstown from August 2026. I am available in Auckland (Britomart) — and now in Queenstown — to accept briefs from solicitors and law firms for most Court matters and to mediate disputes, if required, as a commercial mediator (qualified in Sydney, NSW, 2008).

I am a civil and criminal (regulatory) defence lawyer, but as a barrister, I am regularly asked to help clients, insureds and Directors & Officers with a range of legal, prosecution, “Enforceable Undertaking”, plea mitigation and risk management work.

Primarily, I am engaged to work with insurers and insureds facing serious (usually fatal) accidents, accident and incident investigations, prosecutions, trials and Coronial Inquiries & Inquests. Typical files might involve Police, SCU, WorkSafe NZ, Maritime NZ and MPI (animal welfare) or local council (RMA) investigations — all with the potential for criminal convictions and trials. Coronial matters tend to follow after these primary regulatory investigations too and I do a lot of work with Motorsports and tracks.

Commercially, I do a range of Civil, contract and construction (and leaky home / WHRS) work in most Courts.

For a sample of some of my regulatory trials — please review the case base on my main website: www.brettharris.co.nz, including numerous successful regulatory trials.

Apart from my interest in Central Otago wine & food, I am a member of the NZ Bar Association, the Law Association of NZ (TLANZ), the NZ Insurance Law Association (NZILA) and an International member of the Australian Dispute Resolution Association (ADRA).

Phone: +64 9 379 3300
Email: brett@brettharris.co.nz
Website: [brettharris.co.nz](https://www.brettharris.co.nz)

**Qualifications**
- BA LLB (Canterbury University)
- Admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of NZ, 1995
- Independent Bar, 2006
- Commercial mediator, 2008

**Memberships & admissions**
- New Zealand Law Society
- Auckland District Law Association
- NZ Insurance Law Association
- Associate Member, Arbitrators and Mediators Institute of New Zealand

**Practice areas**
- **Commercial & Contract Disputes** — Contract, debt and shareholder disputes in all courts, with advice focused on the realistic commercial outcome.
- **Construction & Leaky Building** — Construction contract disputes, WHRS claims and leaky-building litigation in the Tribunal and the courts.
- **Rural & Land Law** — Farm succession, boundary and easement disputes, and rural matters across Central Otago and the South Island.
- **Insurance & Regulatory Defence** — Insurance briefs, statutory liability, professional indemnity and general liability claims, regulatory prosecutions and coronial inquiries.
- **Employment Law** — Workplace disputes, personal grievances and employment matters for both employers and employees.
- **Dispute Resolution & Mediation** — Local and regional commercial mediation and ADR — including half-day, full-day and two-day mediations in Queenstown from September 2026.

## What we stand for

- **Plain-English advice** — Every step explained without the legalese, so you always know where your matter stands and why.
- **Direct access to counsel** — You deal with the barrister handling your matter — no layers, no handoffs to junior staff.
- **The strength of a set** — Criminal, family, civil and commercial experience under one roof, so you're matched to the right advocate.
- **Discretion as standard** — Sensitive matters handled with care, confidentiality and steady, considered advocacy.

## Independence

Wakatipu Chambers is a barristers' chambers, not a law firm. Piers Blomfield and Brett Harris are independent barristers who share premises, administration and collegial support, while each practises on his own account and is instructed separately.