Counsel for top Maori lawyer Donna Hall has told the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal that there has been no conflict of interest and no case to answer.
The Law Society's Standards Committee has taken the case, accusing Ms Hall of negligence or incompetence in acting for more than one party in the sale and purchase of a block of land near Taupo, known as Tauraha North, between 2006 and 2007.
It alleged she failed to inform the parties of potential conflicts of interest, or to tell them they should take independent legal advice.
But Ms Hall's lawyer, Helen Cull, QC, said the seller and purchaser were well aware of Ms Hall's dual role, and were told to seek independent legal advice.
Ms Cull said there was no conflict of interest because the parties had a common interest to acquire the tribal lands near Taupo.
In a decision on Wednesday morning, the tribunal declined an application from Ms Hall's lawyer for the case to be thrown out due to delays in the proceedings.
Tribunal chairman David Mackenzie said it had ruled Ms Hall had not been prejudiced by delays in the case, and the matter should not be disposed of without a fuller consideration of all the evidence.
The Standards Committee's lawyer, Gary Turkington, said that on her own evidence and the evidence of a lawyer acting for her at an earlier hearing, Ms Hall accepted she was acting for all three parties to the land transaction in question.
Ms Cull raised several objections to matters raised in Mr Turkington's submissions.
