Gary Hughes

Gary is a leading New Zealand independent barrister for regulatory investigations, enforcement, civil disputes, risk advisory & compliance work – with a special focus on financial crime.

Immersed in AML/CFT since 2007, Gary was ACAMS’ chapter NZ Programme Director for a decade (now Australasian Chapter advisory board) and is widely regarded as New Zealand’s most experienced AML lawyer. In 2021 he was appointed Chair of the International Bar Association’s AML & Sanctions Experts committee, and he is often briefed as counsel or independent expert in complex or sensitive cases across the region, such as parts of the Panama Papers, 1MDB Malaysia, China’s Operation SkyNet, and EU cum/ex cases - as well as in the Cook Islands and Pacific nations.

Gary took a key role in NZ’s tranche 2 law reforms as part of the Ministry of Justice Phase 2 implementation group, and author of the leading online textbook for Thomson Reuters: AML/CFT Workflows - Guidance for Lawyers (2018).   He remains a member of the Ministry of Justice AML/CFT Statutory Review advisory group, and was an invited overseas expert witness to the Cullen Commission of Inquiry (B.C, Canada).

Admitted to practice in NZ (1996) and also dual qualified in NSW and in England, Gary’s legal practice specialises in dealing with business regulators – Serious Fraud Office, Financial Markets Authority, Commerce Commission, Privacy Commission, Police FIU, NZ Department of Internal Affairs – equivalent to Australian agencies AUSTRAC, the ACCC, ASIC and the OAIC.