Luke is an experienced and respected barrister, recognised for his expertise in trial and appellate litigation. He provides his clients with expert guidance, strategic advice, and skilful courtroom advocacy.

Luke regularly appears in pre-trial hearings and jury trials in the High Court and District Court. He has represented individuals, companies and trustees in criminal and regulatory proceedings. Luke is recognised for his particular expertise in appellate litigation for his work in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court to overturn wrongful convictions and excessive sentences. His appellate experience includes murder, sexual offences, fraud, violence and drugs charges. Luke has experience in securing name suppression for defendants, connected persons/companies, and victims. He has achieved discharge without conviction in a number of cases at sentencing, ranging from driving charges to drug offences to assault charges.

Graduating from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts, Luke began his career as a Judge’s Clerk at the High Court of New Zealand where he worked on a broad range of complex civil and criminal trials and appeals. He was a public defender and then a barrister employed by a King’s Counsel.  

Luke holds a Master of Laws from New York University School of Law where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar and Dean’s graduate awardee. While in New York City Luke supported the work of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, assisting with the preparation of reviews and reports on issues relating to the justice system as well as individual claims of human rights violations such as unfair trials. He was also a Research Assistant at the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. Luke received the NYU LLM Public Interest Fellowship, working on policing reform through civil litigation and policy reform for the regulation of surveillance technologies and artificial intelligence. Luke then worked as a Legal Fellow at the Center for Appellate Litigation in Manhattan, to investigate and overturn wrongful convictions. Luke brings this valuable international perspective to his litigation and advisory work.