Tauranga’s CLM unveils full family law team
Regional law firm Cooney Lees Morgan has expanded its family law services and now provides a full range of expertise in this area of law.
Led by Partner Scott Goodwin, the Tauranga firm now has seven family law specialists who have 90 years of combined experience.
Former Inder Lynch Partner, Greg Stringer, moved to Tauranga in 2022 for a lifestyle change and fresh challenge after 30 years of practicing law in South Auckland. He is now Special Counsel at CLM and is helping lead the new family law team.
Senior Associate Laura McLoughlin-Ware joined the firm recently after working as a civil litigator in Christchurch, followed by five years at another Tauranga firm where she specialised in complex trust, estate and relationship property litigation.
Associate Tayla Yim-Loy has been a member of CLM’s Private Client and Trust team since 2023 and now concentrates on all aspects of family law, including relationship property advice, complex trust structures, contracting out agreements, custody arrangements as well as family violence and protection orders.
Associate Melanie Forsman began her career as a legal secretary in Hamilton in 2007 before completing legal executive studies followed by a law degree. She has had two separate stints at CLM and now specialises in asset protection, separations and disputes as well as private client and trust matters such as property conveyancing, subdivisions, Occupation Right Agreements, trusts and succession planning.
Law Clerk Nellie McKegg first joined CLM as a summer clerk in late 2024 and was immediately hired upon her graduation. Advocating for people and their families is what truly drives her, and today she assists CLM’s family law team with separations, relationship property, estate disputes, court preparation and other family matters.
Finally, Senior Legal Assistant Rose Evans has been a member of CLM’s Private Client and Trust team since 2006. She provides essential support to the firm’s family law team and provides guidance for clients that only comes with longevity and experience.
Goodwin says CLM has found increasing demand for specialist family law advice in the Bay of Plenty, as people try to navigate complex family dynamics and succession planning as the law continues to evolve.