Justice Stephen Kós has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Kós graduated LLB (Hons) from Victoria University in 1981 and LLM from Cambridge University in 1985. He became a partner of Perry Wylie Pope & Page in 1985, and of Russell McVeagh in 1988. He joined the independent bar in 2005 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2007. His principal fields of practice were commercial and environmental litigation. He is an Honorary Fellow at the Victoria University Law School, where he taught restitution, evidence and civil procedure, and was formerly Pro-Chancellor of Massey University and Chairman of the New Zealand Markets Disciplinary Tribunal. Justice Kós was appointed a High Court Judge in April 2011.
Two lawyers – Greg Kelly and Susan Hornsby-Geluk – are among three new trustees of the Nikau Foundation board. The Nikau Foundation is part of a worldwide family of community foundations created to provide a simple, effective and long-lasting way for people to leave legacies to local causes and to ensure these gifts will achieve maximum benefit into the future. Mr Kelly is a recognised authority in the areas of wills, trusts and estates. He established Greg Kelly Law in 2009. Ms Hornsby-Geluk is an employment lawyer. She is managing partner of Dundas Street Employment Lawyers and has been a partner of Chen Palmer and of Kensington Swan in Wellington.
Commercial lawyer Graeme Reeves has been reappointed Chief Gambling Commissioner and former lawyer Wendie Harvey has been reappointed a Gambling Commissioner. Mr Reeves, who practises in Wellington and the Wairarapa, is experienced in commercial and property law and employment issues. He was a Director of the Airways Corporation of New Zealand Ltd and has served as a trustee of the Wellington Community Trust and Director of New Zealand Post Ltd. Ms Harvey practised in commercial and employment law.
Warkworth barrister John Auld has been reappointed chair of the Real Estate Agents Authority for a two-year term. Mr Auld is a former Council member and President of the Taranaki District Law Society, and a former Council member of the New Zealand Law Society. He is an inaugural member of the Authority having been appointed as a member at its establishment in 2009.
Auckland lawyer David Jones has been reappointed chair of the Takeovers Panel for a further year, starting on 1 October. The founding partner of law firm Jones Young, Mr Jones has been in legal practice for over 30 years. He was appointed to the Takeovers Panel Advisory Committee in 1991 and has been a member of the Panel since its formation in 1995. Mr Jones was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business in 2012.
Auckland barrister Geoff Clews has been reappointed to the Disciplinary Committee under the Financial Advisers Act 2008. Mr Clews specialises in contentious tax and trusts matters, and is an adjunct member of the Faculty of Commercial Law at Auckland University.
Auckland lawyer Peter Kiely has been reappointed to the University of Auckland Council. Mr Kiely is a founding partner in Kiely Thompson Caisley, a boutique corporate law firm, where he practises in employment law and industrial relations. He was Pro-Chancellor of Auckland University from 2012 to 2014.
Palmerston North Crown Solicitor Ben Vanderkolk has been reappointed to the Massey University Council. Mr Vanderkolk has served on the New Zealand Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and the faculty of the NZLS CLE Litigation Skills Programme.
Napier lawyer Michael Morgan has been appointed deputy chair of the Eastern Institute of Technology Council. Mr Morgan has been a partner of Carlile Dowling since 2001. He is a past President of the Hawke’s Bay District Law Society and a former trustee of the Art Deco Trust and Opera Hawke’s Bay.
Christchurch lawyer Sarah Brown has been reappointed chair of the Southern Institute of Technology Council. An associate with Tavendale & Partners, she specialises in general commercial and rural based legal work. Ms Brown is a member of the Institute of Directors, director of Electricity Invercargill Ltd, Southern Lakes English College and Roaring Forties Ltd, and is a trustee of the 1000 Days Trust.
Business leadership award finalist
Conveyancing Shop Lawyers Ltd director Thada Chapman (right) with Michael Barnett, chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, at the South Auckland Westpac Business Awards finalists function held in Auckland on 20 August.
Ms Chapman has been named as a finalist in the Excellence in Business Leadership category of the awards.
This is the second year that the Conveyancing Shop has entered the Westpac Business Awards. Last year the firm won the category Excellence in Strategy and Planning for the Auckland South region.
This year’s winners will be announced at the Auckland South awards function in Manukau on 8 October.
Lower Hutt lawyer awarded
Lower Hutt lawyer Richard Small was among the winners at the Migrant of the Year Awards, presented in Auckland on 14 August.
Run by the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment, the awards recognise the major contribution of migrants and professionals involved in the immigration industry. The awards were co-sponsored by Migration Cover.
Richard was among the five winners, taking out the Community Outreach Award.
A director of Pacific Legal Ltd, he won the award for his dedication to supporting and representing people unlawfully in New Zealand.
In particular, Richard has represented many clients from Pacific communities who often lack resources and present complicated issues, the judges noted.
Volunteer legal work in Guadalcanal
John Verry has retired from lawyering in New Zealand only to take up an unpaid legal advisor role in the Solomon Islands.
Mr Verry left Dunedin on 21 August for a 12-month Volunteer Service Abroad assignment as legal adviser to the Honiara City Council in Guadalcanal.
In this role Mr Verry will focus on building legal capacity through mentoring and coaching council employees. Projects he will be involved in are reviewing and updating the local city ordinances, including ensuring the Local Building Ordinances are aligned to the National Building Code; enforcement and court cases with an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution.
Having recently returned from six months in Melakka where he was researching Sharia in the West (Leiden University), Mr Verry is looking forward to the challenge of making a contribution to the ongoing development of the rule of law within the Honiara City Council, while having the opportunity to enjoy the Pacific Island lifestyle.
Mr Verry has an LLB from Otago University and an LLM from the University of New England, having initially graduated from Monash University (Melbourne) then obtained a Master of Education (Guidance and Counselling) from Canterbury University.
Mr Verry has long local government legal experience, having been Manager Legal at the (then) Rodney District Council and more recently in-house counsel at the Far North District Council. In between he was Manager Strategic Employee Relations at the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care in New South Wales.