Tompkins Wake

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Partner | Litigation | Dispute Resolution

Kate leads Tompkins Wake's national litigation practice and chairs the firm's partnership. A commercial disputes specialist recognised by The Legal 500 since 2020, she acts in contractual, competition and consumer, companies and securities, intellectual property and property disputes, with particular depth in regulated industries including dairy, energy and telecommunications.

Kate was part of the counsel team in one of New Zealand's most significant class actions: New Zealand College of Midwives v Ministry of Health, in which the High Court held in 2026 that the Crown had breached a binding settlement agreement and unlawfully discriminated against more than 1,400 lead maternity carer midwives on the basis of sex. The multi-million dollar judgment is a landmark in New Zealand pay equity and representative litigation.

She has appeared at every level of the New Zealand court system, including as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Clients describe her as "a very high quality lawyer, very smart and client-friendly" (The Legal 500, 2025) and "an excellent strategist, able to move seamlessly between her roles as advocate and strategic adviser" (The Legal 500, 2024).

Kate was instrumental in developing the firm's policies for working parents, helping colleagues build careers that work alongside whole lives.

BCA, LLB (Hons), University of Wellington