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Steve Symon

Partner

Steve is a Partner in the Crown Specialist practice group.

Steve graduated from the University of Auckland with an LLB and BA in 2001 and began his professional life as a barrister working with Ron Mansfield. He began working for Meredith Connell in early 2005 and spent four years in the Manukau office undertaking criminal trials under the Crown Solicitor’s Warrant.

Steve is a very experienced criminal prosecutor, who has conducted over a hundred trials, and hundreds of pre-trials, sentencings and bail hearings. With that experience, he provides ongoing training and support to junior and intermediate prosecutors.

Steve was reclassified as senior counsel in June 2009 and principal counsel from the introduction of that categorisation in 2017.

Steve began to diversify his practice in 2009, undertaking litigation that Meredith Connell received in the wake of the global financial crisis, including the prosecution of finance company directors.

Over the last ten years Steve has developed a strong enforcement litigation practice for:

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, particularly the Companies Office, the Official Assignee, Immigration, Trading Standards, Occupational Licensing (including Immigration Advisers Authority) and Radio Spectrum Management. Steve’s team provides enforcement advice, legal support, training, and operational support.
NZ Customs Service: Steve’s team provides legal support to Customs both pre-charge and post-charge, conducts prosecutions for Customs, and provides advice regarding Customs’ interaction with other agencies.
Corrections: Steve’s team provides legal support undertaking Corrections prosecutions, Parole Board hearings, extended supervision orders and public protection orders, and support with special projects.
MPI: Steve’s team provides legal support to MPI both pre-charge and post-charge, conducting some of their largest prosecutions, and providing training and feedback to the in-house team.
MSD: Steve’s team undertakes prosecutions for MSD, and provides independent reviews of MSD’s investigations.
DIA: Steve’s team prosecutes both criminal and civil cases for the DIA, and provides legal advice to the Regulatory Investigations team.
WorkSafe: Steve undertakes significant prosecutions on behalf of WorkSafe, with a particular focus on cases involving complex Electricity Act or Gas Act investigations.
Steve’s team also undertakes legal work for the Department of Conservation, Ministry of Transport, Auckland Council, and Racing Integrity Unit.

Crown related work

Steve regularly provides seminars, training and operational support to Government Departments and Agencies in relation to their enforcement strategies, including the detection, investigation, and prosecution of oﬀences.
Steve has provided legal advice to the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment in relation to drafting the criminalization of breaches of certain directors duties contained in the Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment Bill.
Steve has presented, and provided legal support to the Combined Law Agency Group (CLAG) at a number of their conferences.

LLB/BA, University of Auckland