Frazer Barton is a Partner at Anderson Lloyd in Dunedin and heads the Otago litigation team. He has been on the Anderson Lloyd Board for the last 16 years, chairing the board for eight of those years. During his tenure as Chair of Partners Frazer oversaw a change in focus towards gender diversity. With 40% female partners, Anderson Lloyd now maintains one of the highest percentages of women equity partners of any New Zealand law firm. Frazer sees diversity and inclusion as a key focus area for law firms.

Frazer’s specialist practise areas include professional indemnity, insurance and insolvency, and he has recently conducted Treaty-related litigation on questions concerning tikanga and mana whenua. In the past Frazer has practised family law and criminal law, including on legal aid and as a duty solicitor. He is fully conversant with the access to justice issues facing New Zealanders, and the impact this has on practitioners, particularly in criminal and family law.

This is Frazer’s second term as the South Island Vice-President on the Law Society Board. He has extensive governance experience as a member and former chairman of the Board of Presbyterian Support Otago. A former President of the Otago Branch of the Law Society, he is a faculty member of the Law Society Litigation Skills Programme. He is a member of the Council of the University of Otago and chairs its Appeals Board and Health, Safety and Ethics Committee. Frazer is also the first South Island-based President of the Law Society since Austin Forbes KC in 1993-1996.

Frazer has a strong interest in sustainability and planting to restore biodiversity. He proudly grows most of his own fruit and vegetables, and relaxes by running, cycling and kayaking.