Brian Dickey has been appointed Crown Solicitor for Auckland and Natalie Walker Crown Solicitor for Manukau, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced on 30 April. Mr Dickey will be supported by the firm Meredith Connell and Ms Walker by the firm Kayes Fletcher Walker.
Auckland barrister Anita Killeen is the 2015 winner of the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women Margery Toulson Scholarship for Senior Governance and Leadership. The scholarship provides the winner with funding to continue their governance and leadership training with the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.
Law firm news
Auckland firm Hesketh Henry celebrates its 150 year anniversary this year. To commemorate 150 years (technically known as a sesquicentennial) the firm is preparing displays and materials for its premises, placing articles in different publications and holding several staff and client functions.
Two central city firms, Hesketh Richmond and Wilson Henry, merged in 1987 to form the current partnership.
Hesketh Richmond can be traced back to 1865 when Thomas Gillies moved from Otago and set up practice with John Richmond. When Mr Gillies left in 1869 to become the superintendent of Auckland, Edwin Hesketh joined and Hesketh Richmond was formed.
The population of Auckland at that time was about 12,000 and the firm was one of the first on the new telephone exchange, allocated number 16. The firm was initially based in Shortland Street, along with many Auckland practitioners of the time.
Wilson Henry started in 1924 when George Paton (GP) Finlay moved from Te Kuiti and set up practice with Alec Wilson. When Mr Finlay moved to the bench in 1943, Wilson joined with Trevor Henry and Frederic McCarthy and Wilson Henry McCarthy was formed.
The 1987 merger brought together the litigation and commercial practices of Wilson Henry and Hesketh Richmond respectively. The chemistry worked and the firm grew quickly. Over the years it has produced at least seven judges, six Presidents of the Auckland District Law Society, and serviced high profile Auckland and New Zealand entities.
Scholarship honours former lawyer
FairWay Resolution’s Board has announced the establishment of the $10,000 FairWay Resolution Anne Scragg Scholarship to encourage continuing professional development within the dispute resolution profession.
Announcing the scholarship at a function to mark Anne Scragg’s retirement after nearly 30 years’ service to the dispute resolution sector, FairWay Resolution chief executive Greg Pollock said the award aims to continue her legacy to the profession.
Admitted in 1972, Ms Scragg worked in legal practice for five years. She was appointed an ACC review officer in 1986 and has been a mediator since 2001.
She served on the AMINZ Council from 2006 to 2012 and on the Institute’s Education and Qualifications Committee. During her time with FairWay, in 2006 she worked with the team that set up the Telecommunication Dispute Resolution scheme and in 2014 led the team responsible for establishing FairWay’s Family Dispute Resolution service.
Applications for the 2015 year close on 1 August. Full details about the scholarship are available at www.fairwayresolution.com.
Agreement promoting trans-Tasman arbitration signed
The Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Australia (CIArb Australia) have signed a memorandum of co-operation to promote arbitration, mediation and other out-of-court processes in the region.
The agreement recognises the growing demands of resolving cross border disputes, and the increasing alignment in the trans-Tasman legal environment for private dispute resolution.
It will deliver benefits “not only to our members but provides globally recognised experience to assist business and government entities involved in international transactions,” AMINZ President David Patten says.
Both countries are also actively pursuing bilateral and regional free trade agreements elsewhere in the region.
Last year, the Protocol for the ASEAN Australia New Zealand FTA was signed to enhance transparency and certainty for investors in the region. The agreement provides a right to international arbitration (investor-state dispute settlement) to resolve disputes over cross-border investment. It marks the first time Australia and New Zealand have been involved jointly in negotiating an FTA with third countries—and it is the largest FTA for both countries.
The signing of the agreement took place in Sydney in Anzac week during a ceremony commemorating the Centenary of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the 20th Anniversary of its Australian branch.
The practical application of the agreement will be discussed at this year’s AMINZ annual conference, which is supported by CIArb (Australia). The conference will be held from 23-25 July and will be launched in the Grand Hall of Parliament and hosted by the Justice Minister, Amy Adams.