CLANZ In-house lawyer awards announced
CLANZ, the Corporate Lawyers Association of New Zealand, has announced the winners of its 2011 awards. CLANZ is a section of the New Zealand Law Society and represents over 2,300 New Zealand in-house lawyers who work inside corporate, government and not-for-profit enterprises. The awards were announced at CLANZ’s annual conference in Napier on Friday 13 May.
The CLANZ-LexisNexis In-House Lawyer of the Year Award has been made to Charles Spillane, General Counsel and General Manager, Corporate Affairs, at Auckland International Airport. Mr Spillane received a $5000 scholarship package from LexisNexis to be spent on training and resources for him and his team.
“In-house counsel is the fastest-growing area of law in New Zealand, with its own specific nuances. The entries for this year’s award were all of a high calibre and it was great to see so many examples of innovation, leadership and best practice,” LexisNexis Marketing Manager Lesley Trench said presenting the award.
“Charles Spillane leads by example with his passion, integrity and great business judgement. He is setting a high bar for next year’s entries.”
The CLANZ-Bell Gully Young In-House Lawyer of the Year Award went to Justine Tuite, Senior Corporate Solicitor at Beca. Ms Tuite has received a $5,000 scholarship package from Bell Gully, to be spent on development activities which will help develop her career.
Presenting the award, Bell Gully Chairman Roger Partridge said Bell Gully continued to be impressed by the calibre of up-and-coming in-house counsel.
“Justine is an example of the potential that existing within the in-house legal profession and we look forward to following her development over the coming years,” he said.
The CLANZ-Wigley & Company Community Contribution Award is shared by two people this year. Belinda Moffat, Head of Dispute Resolution, Legal Services at Westpac New Zealand and Seung Youn, Secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Multi-cultural Councils each receive $3,500 to donate to their chosen cause.
CLANZ President Jeremy Valentine also announced a special award for Distinguished Service to Neil Williamson, Principal Legislative Counsel, Ministry of Social Development.
Mr Valentine said that Neil Williamson had clearly established himself as the trusted adviser that every in-house counsel aspired to be. He had worked for the ministry in its various guises for 25 years and received the award to acknowledge his significant contribution to welfare and child protection law.
“His nomination noted that although Neil’s role deals with high level legislative issues, he has never lost the ability to punch out a legal opinion on any matter. When quick and complicated advice is required, Neil is relied on to get the job done,” Mr Valentine said.