Avary Patutama

Senior Associate

Areas of expertise

Avary is a Senior Associate in our Litigation & Dispute Resolution team with a focus on complex commercial disputes. She provides commercially focussed advice to clients on contentious matters with a strong focus on practical outcomes that support clients’ broader objectives.

Avary has a wide range of experience spanning contractual disputes, debt recovery, defamation, fraud, professional negligence and regulatory matters. Her matters are often before the County Court and High Court.

Experience

Prior to Devonshires, Avary worked in the Commercial Litigation team at one of the leading full-service commercial law firms in New Zealand.

Education

University of Auckland – LLB (Hons), BCom majoring in Management and Marketing

Personal

Avary enjoys travelling (including going back home to New Zealand and the Cook Islands) and making the most of London’s West End. Avary is a proud supporter of the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL.

Notable cases

Avary assisted in successfully obtaining an urgent interim injunction in the High Court for a client company against an ex-consultant related to breaches of restraint of trade clauses contained in the consultancy agreement.

Avary has recently conducted a corporate fraud investigation following whistleblower allegations of tender manipulation, favouring of third-party suppliers and expenses fraud. Breaches of conflicts of interest and anti-fraud bribery and corruption policies were identified. She continues to assist the client with the flow on effects of the investigation’s findings.

Avary is currently acting on a number of professional negligence claims against solicitor. One of these matters is advising a registered provider in relation to professional negligence claims against two firms of solicitors in relation to a drafting error in numerous shared ownership leases. She is also assisting with the rectification of the leases.

Avary advised a care provider client in relation to various breaches of service level agreements by a registered provider. The registered provider also raised claims of failure to pay monies due. Avary assisted the client in resolving the dispute by negotiating new, long term and fit for purpose service level agreements.