A former partner at a major New Zealand law firm has been found guilty of misconduct after groping four interns at the firm's Christmas party and engaging in sexual contact with another in a sauna at his home while his wife slept upstairs.

James Gardner-Hopkins, who was at the time a partner in top-tier firm Russell McVeagh, was found guilty of misconduct by the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal, but it has yet to impose a penalty, which could include revoking his license to practice.