Stephen Franks is a nationally known lawyer, expert in company and securities law, and law reform.
After early general practice he spent two years in the Office of the Ombudsmen then joined Chapman Tripp in 1979, became a partner in 1981 and served as Chairman of the firm’s National Board. He had six years in Parliament, then four back as a consultant with Chapman Tripp before establishing in July 2009 a specialty law firm, Franks & Ogilvie (Commercial and Public Law Limited) to focus on the intersection of government and commerce.
Stephen ran a vigorous campaign for election in 2008 as the National Party candidate for Wellington Central but the seat was retained by Labour.
He’s been a member of the Securities Commission, the Council of the IOD, and the NZ Stock Exchange’s Market Surveillance Panel. In 2009/10 he served on the Minister of Energy’s expert advisory group on the electricity market structure.
He advised the New Zealand Dairy Board on the route to the creation of Fonterra, the Ministry of Commerce in drafting the Electricity Industry Reform Act, Telecom New Zealand during its privatisation and initial international public offering and the World Bank on legal aspects of corporatisation and privatisation.
Other current interests include a 2,000ha manuka and grazing block, mountain biking, and kayaking. Stephen is married to Catharine and they have four young adult children.
Director, Stephen Franks appeared on RNZ's The Panel yesterday afternoon hosted by Wallace Chapman and alongside fellow panelist Verity Johnston.
They covered the Government's announcement to freeze pay for public servants, the court case over Queen Street developments, housing prices and education training.
To listen, click here
Director Stephen Franks was interviewed by Stuff.co.nz on the call for law schools to teach Maori law -
“There was Māori lore – l-o-r-e – and a lot of Māori custom, but there was no Māori law. There was individual tikanga. There were many different iwi, and each had their own law.”
He likens it to feudal England before the British legal system was unified. “Every local baron had his own court and applied the law of that locality.”
To read more of his comments and the full article, click here.
Director Stephen Franks joined host Wallace Chapman and panelist Pam Corkery on The Panel on Monday. Alongside guests, they discussed a wide range of topics including the future of Guy Fawkes, the UK going back in to lockdown, whether we should keep daylight savings and the new Cabinet line up.
