Catherine Eason
Partner

Catherine is an accomplished civil litigator, advising clients on a range of complex issues, including fraud and commercial claims. She has been involved in a significant number of PCB Byrne's most high-profile cases, acting for states, HNW individuals, large corporate entities, and banks.

Catherine brings significant international expertise to the team and is experienced working on multi-jurisdiction asset recovery and fraud cases, as well as enforcement proceedings and commercial contract claims. Catherine is experienced in obtaining various forms urgent injunctive relief, in particular freezing and search orders.

Before joining PCB Byrne, Catherine was part of the litigation team of a large UK bank. In New Zealand she also acted as a Crown prosecutor for the Office of the Crown Solicitor, Auckland.

The directories say

Legal 500

• In the 2021 edition Catherine is identified as a 'key lawyer for Commercial Litigation'.
• In the 2024 edition, Catherine is identified as a 'Next Generation Partner' in Fraud: Civil, and is recognised as having “significant experience of major dispute[s]'.
• Catherine is also identified as a 'Key Lawyer' for Commercial Litigation.
• In Banking Litigation, Catherine has been recognised as having 'significant experience of disputes, in particular those involving dishonesty'.

Notable Experience

• For Dmitry Tsvetkov, a high-net-worth individual, in relation to claims arising from a breakdown in the relationship with his co-investors and business partners in a Graff Diamonds franchise, and successfully defending a claim on the basis of oral agreements.
• For Tatiana Akhmedova, a high-net-worth individual, in relation to the enforcement of a divorce judgment and recovery of assets, including a number of applications for urgent injunctive relief.
• For an Egyptian company in relation to the enforcement of an arbitration award and application for specific disclosure.
• For a US private equity firm in relation to a commercial contract claim arising from its decision to exit an investment in an energy company.
• Acting for liquidators in relation to the recovery of assets, in particular bringing actions for breach of directors' duties or fiduciary duties, as well as setting aside insolvent transactions.
• Acting as both junior and sole counsel in civil and criminal trials in New Zealand.

Background

Admitted to the bar in New Zealand in 2013, Catherine is enrolled as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and has acted as both junior and sole counsel in the New Zealand District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in politics from the University of Otago, and spent a semester studying at the University of St Gallen, Switzerland.

Contact Catherine