A high profile Queen's Counsel and one of the country's biggest law firms are stepping down from Kim Dotcom's legal team.

Police are eyeing money from the sale of three houses owned by a couple accused of defrauding NZX-listed Mighty River Power.

National law firm Buddle Findlay has been barred by the High Court from acting in two cases involving either current or former clients in the space of a month.

Mike Pero has successfully stopped a major law firm acting in a court case brought against him by the mortgage business.

Former Blue Chip boss Mark Bryers is likely to stay bankrupt until at least March next year with his High Court hearing delayed while the parties argue about evidence.

Creditors have accepted a 20c-in-the-dollar proposal from one of Orcon’s former owners but a court has yet to approve the deal.

More than three times as many lawyers were struck off this year than in 2009 and the trend is continuing.

The Co-operative Bank has lost a High Court bid to stop a financial services group using the word co-op in its name.

A lawyer who misspelled the name of the trial judge incurs the wrath Justice Wylie and complaints against judges on the decline in this week's Caseload.

Mark Hotchin is heading to the Supreme Court in his attempt to join Hanover trustees into the Financial Market Authority's civil action against him.

Struck-off Auckland ex-lawyer Barry Hart is back in the saddle, this time as a "lay advocate" representing banned jockey David Walker.

A New Zealand exporter has won a $450,000 judgment against the suppliers of "defective" Philippine bananas.

A big court case over one of Auckland's most ill-fated apartment tower developments is set down to be heard early next year.

Shareholders in the failed Feltex Carpets have appealed the High Court decision which found the directors were not liable for alleged disclosure failings.

It has taken a while, but a fancy feed to pay tribute to Justice Simon Moore QC is rescheduled for next March - a year after the judge was sworn in.

The lawyer of woman who defended Cornwall Park Trust Board’s $170k lawsuit over back rent suspects her opponents may appeal.

Debt collectors and repo men need to clean up their act says the Commerce Commission, which next year gets new powers to directly crack down on shoddy practices.

More than 800 customers of a consumer loans company will get back $3.3 million after they were overcharged for interest and fees.

A company which tore up its Spark contract after becoming frustrated by its "unreliable and slow" service has been whacked by more than $25,000 of termination fees.

Jock Anderson's Caseload looks at the goings-on around the courts and the legal fraternity. This week, a serial litigant is sunk by the cruise from hell.

Jock Anderson remembers a time when violent attacks on police officers were condemned and not brushed off by slick lawyers paid to find ways of shifting the blame.

The Herald understands a conditional settlement has been reached with lawyers for both parties meeting with a judge behind closed doors.

Law experts are warning Kiwis about the hidden costs of free and cheap wills that may end up hijacking a chunk of their assets in fees or causing family problems after a death.