Leaky building lawyers form breakaway firm

Paul Grimshaw

A team of solicitors specialising in weathertightness issues has left Auckland law firm Cairns Slane to form a new business.

Grimshaw & Co opened today with 15 litigators including three former Cairns Slane partners: Paul Grimshaw, Tim Rainey and Matt Josephson.

Grimshaw said the split was amicable and prompted by a desire to have more control over the business, which represents 5000 leaky home victims in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown.

Cairns Slane partner Robert Berry said that, although the new firm was taking its revenue stream, it was also taking its costs and overheads. Cairns Slane would keep 11 lawyers and continue to offer all the same services as before.

Grimshaw said his team spent 80 per cent of its time on leaky building issues and the rest on planning issues, construction disputes and representing employers in personal grievance cases.

He is awaiting the Court of Appeal's decision on the Sacramento case against the Government's now-defunct Building Industry Authority, heard last week.

A High Court ruling in February upheld the right of owners of the Sacramento housing complex in Auckland's Botany Downs to sue the authority for negligence.