Formerly a partner, Raymond recently rejoined Shieff Angland after a second term as a Labour MP. As chair of the Justice Committee (one of the busiest in Parliament), he contributed to the reform of key New Zealand laws including the Trusts Bill, Privacy Bill, Arbitration Bill, Courts Matters Bill and the Administration of Justice (Reform of Contempt of Court) Bill. Working closely with Shieff Angland partners, he sponsored a member’s bill in Parliament, the Insolvency (Private Administration of Personal Bankruptcy) Amendment Bill, seeking to bring New Zealand into line with Australia and the United Kingdom.
Raymond is the founding trustee of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week Charitable Trust, a Kiwi-driven initiative designed to increase Chinese language learning in New Zealand. The first of its kind in any Western country, NZCLW seeks to bridge the cultural and linguistic knowledge gap between China and New Zealand.
Qualified in statute law in China and case law in New Zealand, Raymond has broad experience in local and international transactions and has a keen interest in Overseas Investment Act-related due diligence, property, commercial and trust law.
He is an honorary professor of law at his alma mater, China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. He has published nine books, including The Power of the Rule of Law – Navigating established common law cases《法之力》(Beijing 2019), a book designed for Chinese judges, lawyers and businesspeople. With Dr Wayne Mapp, he is co-editor of the bilingual guide Doing Business in New Zealand – information and advice from leading experts, to be released in mid-2021.