Ben Hamlin
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Ben Hamlin

LLB, BSc (Biochemistry), Otago University (2003)
Admitted to the Bar: 2004, Wellington

Ben is an Associate in the firm's Regulatory and Commercial Litigation practice group.

Ben has significant civil litigation experience, and regularly appears as counsel in the District Court and High Court, and as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, including in Commerce Commission v Woolworths & Ors (2008), AstraZeneca v Commerce Commission & Anor (2009), Vodafone v Telecom & Anor (2009, 2011), Commerce Commission v Air New Zealand Ltd & Ors (2010) and Fonterra v Grate Kiwi Cheese & Anor (2011).

Before joining Meredith Connell Ben worked as a Senior Legal Counsel at the Commerce Commission and, on secondment, at the Ministry of Economic Development in the Competition Policy team.  Prior to that he worked at another major New Zealand law firm.

Ben has particular expertise in relation to competition, regulatory and administrative law matters.  He has advised the Commerce Commission in relation to investigations and regulatory proceedings in relation to telecommunications, energy, and primary production industries, including under the Telecommunications Act, Dairy Industry Restructuring Act and Part 4 of the Commerce Act.  He has also acted on merger proceedings before the Commerce Commission, High Court and Court of Appeal.  He continues to act for the Commerce Commission in relation to cartel, merger and regulatory proceedings.

Ben also has extensive experience advising central government, local government and private corporations in relation to public law matters including the legislative obligations of public bodies, and potential challenges to public powers and processes. He frequently appears in judicial review proceedings brought against central and local government. 

Ben regularly writes on matters of competition law, and contributed the chapters on Part 4 of the Commerce Act, Commission authorisations and clearances, and "Jurisdiction, procedure and review" in New Zealand Competition Law and Policy (CCH, 2010). 

Ben also conducts civil and criminal prosecution work on behalf of the Crown, Police, Department of Internal Affairs, and the Commerce Commission.

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