Camilla Owen is a “super woman” who has performed outstandingly as convener of the New Zealand Law Society’s Environmental Law Committee, says the 2011 incoming convener Margot Perpick.

“She just amazes me,” Margot says. “She’s very inspiring.”

The quality of her work is outstanding and that has stood the Law Society in good stead as she has worked on preparing submissions “and we’ve had some big, chunky things to do over the last few years, so she’s had a big job to do”.

Camilla is “very much dedicated to the cause”, says Mark von Dadelszen, the committee convener before Camilla took over the role in 2009 after having been a committee member since 2001.

“She always did her homework and she had a calm and considered way of approaching her work.

“She was always a very keen, dedicated member of the committee. She was one of the people who pulled out all stops to attend meetings,” Mark says, noting that it would take something like a hearing for Camilla not to attend.

Camilla heads the Nelson division of Duncan Cotterill’s environmental law team.

An expert in resource management and environmental law, Camilla has advised a wide range of public and private sector organisations on environmental matters, including the legal implications of policy decisions as well as on all aspects of litigation.

Camilla has a background in administrative law (judicial review) and was for three years a Crown Counsel with the Crown Law Office, in both the treaties and international law team and with the natural resources team.

Camilla is the immediate past president of the Resource Management Law Association of New Zealand and is an author of Brookers Resource Management Law.

This article was published in LawTalk 783, 21 October 2011, page 13.