New Zealand Law Society - Governance and leadership

Governance and leadership

The Law Society is governed by a council and a board. The president is the head of the Law Society. The management, administrative functions and day-to-day operations are the responsibility of the Law Society’s Chief Executive.

Law Society President

The President heads the Law Society, acting as the main ambassador for the legal profession and representing and speaking for the Law Society at home and overseas. The President is also the chair of our Board and the Council. The Council ratifies the President's appointment by the Board. They hold office for a term of three years. The role of president is part-time.

Law Society Council

The Council is made up of the President, the four Vice-Presidents and the Independent Board members (who also form the Board), one member from each regional branch of the Law Society, the chair or president of each of the Law Society’s sections, the chair or president of the New Zealand Bar Association, the leaders of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa (The Māori Law Society); a representative of the Pacific Lawyers Association and a representative of the large law firm corporations.

The Council also has an observer representative from the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives.

Council delegations and governance

The Council is the oversight governance body for our organisation. It has delegated almost all governance functions to the Board, although it has retained the following functions and powers:

  • ratification of the offices of president and president-elect
  • election of the office of vice-president;
  • the power to amend or replace the Constitution;
  • the power to establish sections;
  • election of an auditor;
  • the powers under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act to make practice rules; and
  • any functions or powers which in terms of the Act, the Constitution, or any regulations or practice rules under the Act which must be exercised by a resolution of the Council (this includes fixing fees, levies and subscriptions payable by lawyers).

Current council members

President

  • Frazer Barton

Vice-Presidents

  • David Campbell – Auckland, President Elect
  • Jesse Savage – Central North Island
  • Ataga'i Esera – Wellington
  • Mark Sherry – South Island

Independent Board Members

  • Baden Vertongen – Independent Board Member
  • Michael Mills – Independent Board Member
  • Anna Fox – Independent Board Member

Branch Presidents

  • Misha Henaghan – Auckland
  • Amy Keir – Canterbury Westland
  • Daniel Berry – Gisborne
  • Angela Davis – Hawke’s Bay
  • Guy Carter – Manawatū
  • Rob Harrison – Marlborough
  • Angela Halloran – Nelson
  • Will Martin – Otago
  • Chris Peddie – Southland
  • Sean Maskill – Taranaki
  • Melissa Campbell – Waikato Bay of Plenty
  • Saar Cohen-Ronen – Wellington
  • Megan Kennard – Whanganui

Section Representatives

  • Ben Jacobs – In-house Lawyers’ Association of New Zealand
  • Richard Smith – Family Law Section
  • Kristine King – Property Law Section

Other Representatives

  • Martin Thomson – Large Firm Corporation
  • Paul David KC – NZ Bar Association
  • Tiffany Sauni – Pacific Lawyers Association
  • Tai Ahu – Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa

Observers

  • Carmen Franich - Legal Executives New Zealand
  • Katie Rusbatch - Secretariat

Law Society Board

Board consists of the President, four Vice-Presidents and two to four Independent members. The Board is the executive body representing the Council to govern the affairs of the Law Society. Under delegation from the Council, it carries most of the Law Society’s governance and oversight responsibilities.

Current board members

  • Frazer Barton – President
  • David Campbell – Vice-President, Auckland, President Elect
  • Jesse Savage – Vice-President, Central North Island
  • Ataga'i Esera – Vice-President, Wellington
  • Mark Sherry – Vice-President, South Island
  • Baden Vertongen – Independent Board Member
  • Michael Mills – Independent Board Member
  • Anna Fox – Independent Board Member