Shipley was New Zealand’s first female prime minister holding the role from 1997 to 1999. She was chair of the board of construction firm Mainzeal when the company was placed in liquidation in 2013 after a number years of financial difficulty.
The Supreme Court agreed. In the judgement, the court ordered the four directors to contribute NZ$39.8 million plus interest to Mainzeal creditors. Lawyers on behalf of Shipley, Tilby and Gromm released a statement on behalf of their clients that they were "deeply disappointed then their appeal has been dismissed" and "they continue to regret the collapse of Mainzeal and its serious consequences for its staff, customers and creditors."Yan's solicitor did not immediately responded to a request for comment and his lawyer said he had no instruction to comment on the case.