Kate Sheppard Chambers adds four more experienced barristers to the KSC whānau
Alison Douglass, Kellie Arthur, Kesia Denhardt and Persia Templeton join Kate Sheppard Chambers in April 2024.
Alison Douglass has been a practising litigation lawyer for 38 years, specialising in health and disability law. She also has a broad background in civil and criminal, family and employment law. Alison’s expertise in health and disability law, and ethics and policy, has been recognised through her appointment on various statutory authorities and ethics committees. She is a Deputy Chair of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (HPDT) / Te Rōpū Whakatika Kaimahi Hauora. In 2024, Alison received a Borrin Foundation research and writing grant, supporting a sabbatical in Edinburgh to update the Toolkit for Assessing Capacity (professional guidance for lawyers and doctors on assessing capacity). She is based in Ōtepoti/Dunedin and has a nationwide practice.
Kellie Arthur has a broad practice, acting in a range of civil and commercial disputes. Her practice encompasses contract and tort claims, trusts and estates litigation, property disputes (including relationship property disputes) and shareholder disputes. Kellie is known for her personable approach, quick-mind, and robust and pragmatic approach to legal problems. Prior to her legal career, Kellie worked in New Zealand and internationally providing strategic advice to large, corporate clients. Alongside her practice, Kellie is a Council Member and Vice President (Auckland) of the New Zealand Bar Association|Ngā Ahorangi Motuhake o te Ture, a faculty member of the New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa Litigation Skills Programme, and a member of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa.
Kesia Denhardt has practised family law exclusively since 2009. Kesia handles all types of family law matters, with a particular interest in complex parenting and protection matters, relationship property and financial issues arising out of a separation, and reproductive law (adoption, surrogacy and embryo donation). She has authored and featured in numerous articles, has written and presented legal seminars to other practitioners about various family law issues, and has also taken the opportunity to shine a light on family law issues in the media. Kesia is an ambassador of White Ribbon New Zealand; selected in recognition of her work in assisting those who have been subjected to family violence. Kesia practises in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and accepts instructions from clients nationwide.
Persia Templeton is an employment specialist with a commitment to addressing the complex interplay between workplace rights and individual freedoms. She is a skilled investigator, reflecting her capability to impartially address and resolve conflicts. Throughout her career, Persia has consistently demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a sincere commitment to advocating for her clients’ rights and welfare within the challenging landscape of employment law. Persia has acted on and appeared in several notable cases in the employment, privacy, and human rights field. Known for her analytical skills and ethical judgment, Persia is recognised not just for her legal expertise but also for her role as a thoughtful and principled advocate in the legal community. Persia is based in Wānaka.