A lawyer of Fijian Indian descent with strong ties to Fiji has been appointed an Associate Judge of the High Court in New Zealand.
NZ Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann welcomed Attorney-General Judith Collins’ announcement today confirming the appointment of Auckland barrister Nischal Hasmukhlal “Nick” Malarao.
Associate Judge Malarao will officially take up the role on June 8 and will sit in Auckland. He is expected to be sworn in at the Auckland High Court on June 10.
According to details released by the New Zealand judiciary, Associate Judge Malarao graduated from the University of Auckland in 1999 with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce before beginning his legal career at leading law firm Chapman Tripp.
He later joined the Auckland Crown Solicitor’s Office, Meredith Connell, where he worked extensively in civil, commercial and criminal litigation.
Between 2002 and 2003, he worked in London in the litigation department of Lloyd’s of London before returning to New Zealand to continue his career at Meredith Connell.
Over the years, he rose through the ranks to become a Senior Litigation Partner in the firm’s commercial litigation division. He also led the firm’s regulatory and insolvency practice group and served on its management board.
In July 2024, Associate Judge Malarao moved to the independent bar at Richmond Chambers in Auckland, specialising in civil, commercial, tax and regulatory disputes, with particular expertise in company and insolvency law.
Beyond the legal profession, he has also served in several leadership roles within the Kshatriya Society of New Zealand, a Gujarati community organisation.
He is proficient in both Hindi and Gujarati and continues to maintain strong connections with Fiji.
