Embattled Napier developer Malcolm Herbert is now being pursued by his former lawyers over unpaid legal fees.

Herbert and his various companies have been involved in numerous developments in Hawke’s Bay and Fiji over more than 40 years.

Several of his companies have been the subject of court action and have been in and out of receiverships or liquidations over that period.

In the past few months a hotel business and associated entity were put into receivership owing $27 million to creditors.

In September, Herbert and his company MAH Enterprises (Fiji) Limited (now MM Services Ltd) were ordered to pay $96,000 following an unsuccessful challenge in the Employment Court over the poor treatment of migrant workers.

Another of Herbert’s companies, Herbert Construction Ltd, was put into liquidation in September in relation to the “Raffles Apartments” project, near the Napier city centre.

That building was owned by the another of Herbert’s entities, the Thorn Place Trust, which was put into receivership last year.

Judge Earwaker said the proceedings needed to be served on the trust as the legal costs had been incurred on behalf of the trust…