Zong-Pei Zhao

Zong-Pei specialises in court work, litigation, education law and public law advocacy, but comes with a diverse career background encompassing law, management and education.  

He has over 10 years of experience as a civil servant with a number of government entities – then Department of Building and Housing, Department for Courts/Ministry of Justice, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to name a few. With his experience in the field of education, he had been appointed as a principal to a couple of private education providers in New Zealand and overseas and was a Board Member of a state composite school.

Within the legal profession, he has served two Chief District Court Judges in the past, was admitted to the bar in a private ceremony before the then Chief High Court Judge, had extensive experience in the District Court criminal jurisdiction, and worked in a renowned boutique public law firm as Special Counsel for 2½ years, specialised in education law.

Prior to joining Lowndes Jordan, Zong-Pei worked at the Auckland District Law Society (ADLS) and was the Committee Secretary of the ADLS Criminal Law, Parole Law, Mental Health & Disability Law, Health & Safety Law, Immigration & Refugee Law, Documents & Precedents, Property Law, Trust Law and Newly Suited Committees, and the founding Secretary of the AML/CFT Law Committee.  During his time at the ADLS, using his public law skills and knowledge, he drafted/co-drafted a number of substantive law reform papers, including the submissions on the AML/CFT Act Statutory Review, the Independent Panel Review on Regulating Lawyers and Legal Services, on the Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Act, on the Department of Corrections 2022 consultation on Options to Achieve Improved Outcomes in the Corrections System etc.  Having lived in Wellington for 17 years, he is connected in the public sector and was able to advocate directly to people of influence within government policy units and Members of Parliament.

At Lowndes Jordan, while building up his practice in civil litigation, Zong-Pei is also available to accept instructions on criminal, regulatory defence, public law and advocacy matters, as well as providing advice on education law and government relationships. He is a full member of the Criminal Bar Association.

Zong-Pei is a native speaker of the Chinese language and a recognised Chinese writer, awarded a life membership to the World Chinese Writers’ Association New Zealand division and has been the official interpreter for the Wellington City Council’s Mayor Office for 10+ years, served three mayors in their annual overseas delegations to North Asia.  He was acknowledged by both former New Zealand Ambassador to China John McKinnon CNZM and a former Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand as “the best Chinese interpreter in Wellington”.