Tax lawyer Bevan Miles – who returned to golf after basketball, rugby and cricket contributed to his body "falling to pieces" – now does his bit to raise money to support women's health issues.
Bevan, who recently joined Chapman Tripp in Auckland as special counsel, is a trustee of the New Zealand Professional Women Golfers Trust, established to raise fund for charities – in particular charities that support women's health-related issues – and to assist and support New Zealand women professional golfers.
The trust's big fund raising event was the Anita Boon pro-am tournament this month, co-hosted with the Australian ladies' pro tour, and which raised money for the New Zealand Gynaecological Cancer Foundation.
- Name
- Bevan Richard (Bevan) Miles
- Born
- Palmerston North.
- Age
- 41.
- Entry to law
- Graduated BCom, LLB(Hons) from Auckland University in 1996. Admitted in 1998.
- Workplace
- Special counsel at Chapman Tripp, Auckland.
- Speciality area
- Tax.
"It's not a big name tournament but we attract some very good golfers in the top 200 and Lydia Ko sent us a video of support…" says Bevan, who plays off a 15 handicap at his Huapai home club, north of Auckland.
"Huapai is a good course to play; it's not too hard and just enough challenge for me…"
He became involved with the professional women's golf trust a couple of years ago through his wife's long standing family friend and leading professional golfer Liz McKinnon, now the high performance coordinator for New Zealand Golf, and also a trustee.
"I played golf when I was young as a junior at North Shore and struggled … It took me a long time to get even vaguely good…"
He played "passably" through university on a 16 handicap until marrying at 21, when golf went on the back burner for ten to 15 years as he tackled other sports.
"I later convinced my wife that she should let me play golf again and things went from there…
"I took up golf about five years ago … By then my body was falling to pieces … I had a back injury, a knee injury and tried to play football but my knee wouldn't do it…
"My right knee was reconstructed after playing age group basketball on the North Shore … When I put footy boots on my leg didn't cope with running…
"Cricket was my main sport for a long time before getting married, I was an opening batsman and average off spinner – fairly slow and steady…
"Now my eight-year-old son Steve is starting his second season for East Coast Bays and is madly into cricket…
"Lou Vincent was around when I played for Takapuna and, Oh yes, I'm following Chris Cairns' perjury trial with interest … It would be very interesting to be there…"
A Newcastle United fan from his primary school days when he saw Kevin Keegan playing against Tottenham, Bevan's a keen follower of the English premier football league.
"I thought Keegan was a bloody good player so I decided to support Newcastle and have done ever since, although they are horrible at the moment…
"We've done a reasonable amount of overseas travel, mainly in Europe, south-east Asia, Egypt, the Americas and twice to Russia – which we really like…
"We took the kids to Russia for ten days when they were six and four … It was challenging, travelling in trains mainly and walking, and I rented some nice apartments in good locations in St Petersburg and Moscow…
"There's not much English spoken but the people were very friendly and helpful … We managed McDonald's by pointing…
"People would stand up for my wife and children on the trains and were fascinated by our daughter who is very blonde…
"In Egypt there is ill feeling towards Americans and we explained we were New Zealanders and not Americans."
With his wife back at part time work as a food technologist at Albany, Bevan - who is a member of the New Zealand Law Society tax committee - says they have their work/life balance right.
"When I was with ASB - [where he was general manager of taxation for seven and a half years before joining Chapman Tripp] - they were well set up to work flexibly and remotely."
"I much prefer to see more of the kids and be home to get them to bed…
"I drive a VW Golf and my wife drives a bigger VW … Nothing too opulent but you don't want to appear too unsuccessful either…
"I did have a smaller BMW … I had a conversation recently with my mother in law – who drives an older Hyundai - and she couldn't understand the fascination with cars…
"I've done some long haul travelling for work and am a big fan of the movie selection in Air New Zealand business class … I always enjoy Sean Connery and Kevin Spacey and while I'm not a fan of some of the later Bond films I'm coming round to Daniel Craig…
"I usually only read on holiday after discovering Kindle and like Lee Childs and John Grisham…
"I tried to learn the piano at school, was good at theory but not practice so gave that up … I listen to a wide range of music and my favourite is English rock band Radiohead…
"A teacher steered me towards law … I was good at accounting, economics and maths…
"Thankfully, I had a teacher who was smart enough to tell me to not just do a BCom, but think about a law degree as well…
"A couple of years into the law degree I found it more interesting than accounting so then ended up with Deloittes and tax, which was a nice mix of accounting and law…
"I was persuaded to join Bell Gully after a year or two, and decided to stay with law…
"If I wasn't a lawyer, I would love to do something in sport management … I enjoy sport and enjoy the little taste of management with the women's golf charity…
"Probably my dream job would be CEO of New Zealand Cricket…"
Jock Anderson has been writing and commenting on New Zealand lawyers and New Zealand's courts for most of his career in journalism. Contact Jock at jockanderson123@gmail.com.