Paul Brown
LLB, Principal, PB Employment Law Ltd.
Member of the Executive of the Employment Law Institute of NZ
Member of the Leadership Team of C3 Church Christchurch
Paul graduated LLB in 1999, from Canterbury University. After briefly working as a commercial solicitor, he formed his first company, Employment Law Consultants Ltd and began specialising in employment law for both employers and employees.
From 2005 to 2011 Paul worked as a referee for the Disputes Tribunal, which was a part-time position for the Ministry of Justice. Paul’s no-nonsense approach and particularly concise written decisions meant that the losing party knew exactly why their arguments were not accepted - which is the essence of good justice.
In 2010 he formed his own law firm Lexington Legal which practised in the area of immigration and employment law. After various drama’s, Paul closed Lexington legal in 2017 and formed PB Law, now PB Employment Law.
Paul has literally done hundreds of mediations with the Employment Relations Service over the last 20 years. He regularly appears in the Employment Relations Authority [ERA] and in the Employment Court as needed. He has even appeared in the Court of Appeal, successfully defending decisions of the ERA and Employment Court in favour of his client. There is no substitute for experience!
There are cases which are simply too big or complex for one person to handle on their own, and Paul will seek the assistance of specialist employment law barristers as needed.
For example, Paul represented an employee unfairly dismissed by Smith Crane and Construction Ltd. Despite clear wins in both the Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court, Tim Smith (director of Smith Crane and Construction Ltd) decided to appeal to the Court of Appeal. Paul sought the assistance of Kathryn Dalziel, a specialist employment law barrister, who did an excellent job in the Court of Appeal. In a one-page decision the Court of Appeal completely rejected and dismissed the appeal.
Click here to see the Employment Court decision see:
For a copy of the Court of Appeal decision click here:
No matter how big or small your case is, Paul has the experience and knowledge to help you.
Personal Statement
Paul grew up around the North Island as his dad moved around a bit, selling life insurance, before settling in Auckland. Paul might say he was merely adventurous - but the judge thought otherwise, and his parents sent him to a Marist Brothers boarding school in Whangarei at 13. Well educated "in the school of life" meant that his time at high school was largely wasted, although he did enjoy his time working on the school farm - and teaching the other boys how to hot wire a tractor (which was related to the reason he got sent to a boarding school in the first place!)
From there a wide variety of jobs followed, such as diary farming in the Waikato, forestry working both clear-felling and planting pine around Kaikohe , selling encyclopedias door to door, tyre fitter in both NZ and Oz, fleet tyre service man, tyre company manager, construction worker (and union delegate) in Sydney , factory worker here there and everywhere , various travels around the world - and perhaps the best education of all – at least in the school of life - a taxi driver in Auckland.
Having been 'a jack of all trades' and a master of none, Paul commenced his LLB in Auckland – saw the light – and finished it at Canterbury University. He was admitted to the Bar in 1999. Having initially practiced as a commercial solicitor, Paul soon specialised in employment law, which remains his area of expertise today. He also advises companies on management and dispute resolution issues.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, if you want really clear advice, without any 'organic fertiliser', you will get on well with Paul.
Catherine Thomsen
Legal Executive/Practice Manager
Hi there. I moved to the Canterbury District in 2019 from Rotorua with my family. Prior to the move I worked as a Legal Executive for predominantly Family Court lawyers before changing roles altogether and doing accounts and payroll for three years. I did a short stint on a Payroll support line when I first moved to Christchurch prior to the first lockdowns. From this I have built up a strong background in Payroll programs which has proved useful for clients with wages claims and conversely employers who want to ensure they are compliant with the Holidays Act in paying their employees.
Since joining PB Employment Law in 2020 my knowledge of employment law has grown exponentially in providing backup support for clients. My accounts experience has set me up well to take on the role of Practice Manager for the firm.
When I am not at work, I enjoy walking in the hills. My last big hike was the Routeburn and Greenstone tracks and am always planning the next one.
I look forward to helping you with your employment matters.
Charitable donations
As well as working pro bono Paul supports charities such as The Kids Foundation in New Zealand.
Paul is a keen 4WD driver, you can follow some of his exploits here…
McCauley River, towards the McCauley heart & headwaters of Lake Tekapo