Marina Samountry Senior Associate

Marina is a New Zealand qualified solicitor with experience in contentious construction issues including acting for employers, main contractors and construction product manufacturers. Marina’s experience on contentious matters includes assisting with complex court proceedings and dispute resolution forums including mediation. Marina has specialist experience in the Building Safety Act 2022, fire safety disputes and large-scale defective building claims.

Specialist expertise

Examples of Marina's expertise include:

  • advising clients, including contractors, on current and developing fire safety issues in relation to the Building Safety Act 2022, in particular, in respect of transitional provisions, Remediation Orders and Building Liability Orders;
  • acting for defendants in multi-party TCC court proceeding in respect of alleged cladding issues to a large residential complex;
  • acting for an NHS Trust in various disputes involving the JCT suite of contracts, including termination, practical completion and delay claim issues;
  • acting for main contractors in payment dispute adjudications;
  • acting for the claimants in one of New Zealand’s highest value defective building cases relating to weathertightness, structural and fire safety issues against a government body in a complex multi-party litigation valued at c.US$95 million;
  • acting against contractors and consultants in connection with New Zealand High Court proceedings brought against them including alleged breaches of non-compliant fire safety issues in relation to a block of apartments;
  • acting against a leading New Zealand construction company in relation to their role in the construction of a mixed residential and commercial complex with weathertightness and façade-related defects;
  • representing a fire engineer in a professional negligence claim in relation to reports issued for the construction of a residential apartment;
  • advising a variety of contractors and homeowners in residential construction contract disputes in relation to payment disputes.

Other activities and memberships

  • The Society of Construction Law; and
  • The Adjudication Society.