Green pastures

"Welcome to Masterton – home of the Golden Shears" the signs at the town entrance say. The world's premiere shearing and wool handling competition, the Golden Shears is held in Masterton in around March each year. That agricultural focus sums up a lot of what this Wairarapa town is about. "There is a…

From the Law Society

Lawyering in MastertonThe Wairarapa is one of New Zealand’s gems. From the Pukaha Mount Bruce wildlife centre in the north of the district to the Putangirua Pinnacles in the south, there is a wide variety of activity and scenes. In this issue of LawTalk, we look at lawyering in the district’s…

Our Profession, Our People

Wellington District Court Judge John Walker has been appointed Principal Youth Court Judge. His appointment follows former Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft’s appointment as Children’s Commissioner. Judge Walker was admitted in 1975. He practised with Macalister Mazengarb and as a barrister in Wellington before his appointment to the bench…

Dominion Law – Chris Hocquard

Chris Hocquard is a lawyer with a somewhat unique business, as he mostly represents musicians and entertainers. "Over my career I've acted for almost everyone at some point," he says. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he doesn't wear a pin striped suit, preferring to dress casually in trendy jeans and top, and…

Law Society central North Island President juggling positions

The New Zealand Law Society Vice-President for the Central North Island, Tiana Epati juggles a hatful of positions. She is a criminal defence lawyer, a law firm partner, a wife, a mother of two and solid proof that the old saying rings true “if you want something done, ask a busy…

New Taranaki branch President

Govett Quilliam partner Alexander Laurenson is the new President of the New Zealand Law Society’s Taranaki branch. He succeeds long-serving Taranaki President Rajan Rai, who was first elected to the role in 2010. Mr Laurenson first joined Govett Quilliam in 2000 and re-joined the firm in 2007 with a view to…

Lawyer groups tell Turkey to respect rule of law

The Presidents of Law Associations of Asia (POLA) have expressed deep concern over the recent developments in Turkey in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt. POLA has issued a statement following its 2016 Summit in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, recently. New Zealand Law Society President Kathryn Beck was among the presidents who prepared…

International mediation expert to address education law conference

Internationally acclaimed mediator and academic Professor Laurence Boulle will be a keynote speaker at the 25th Australia and New Zealand Education Law Conference, which will be held in Auckland from 28 to 30 September. Professor Boulle’s attendance at the conference is due to the support of the New Zealand Law Foundation. The…

Why executive education matters

Twenty-seven years ago, I was a disillusioned criminal defence lawyer at a career crossroads. I was acutely aware of the limitations of my specialist knowledge and so, with a view to broadening my horizons, I sat and completed a one-year full time study MBA (Master of Business Administration). The programme…

The 9th key habit of a rainmaker: Ask great questions

In my previous article in LawTalk 890, we looked at some of the key habits that the top rainmakers within legal firms demonstrate. The 9th habit being “ask really great open and engaging questions”. Of course, the real skill isn’t just to ask these questions. You have to learn how to…

Working for peace, human rights and justice in Colombia

A year on, New Zealand lawyer Sarah Cates updates LawTalk on her experiences working in Colombia as a human rights worker, explains a couple of the legal cases she has accompanied and gives insights into the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and guerrilla groups. Colombians have endured almost seven decades…

Law Reform

Review of clean slate legislation neededThe New Zealand Law Society agrees that the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004 should be amended to apply to people who have been sentenced to a custodial sentence of 12 months or less, after 20 years has passed since the date of last sentencing. Responding…

Why and how your client should protect their branding

Brands and trade marks are powerful business assets. As consumers, we rely on branding to differentiate the products and services of one trader from another. We familiarise ourselves with the brands we use, and are loyal to brands we enjoy and have grown to trust. No client wants the exclusivity and…

Iwi chairs support new framework for reducing youth offending

A Law Foundation-backed project is helping the National Iwi Chairs Forum develop a new basis for interacting with the state to achieve better outcomes for young Māori offenders. The “engagement framework” will be developed by iwi, with assistance from Judge Carolyn Henwood and Jennifer George of the Henwood Trust. Judge Henwood says…

What are the ‘big life moments’ for lawyers and the resulting financial challenges?

In part one, which you can read in LawTalk 892, 15 July 2016, we covered the financial impact of big life moments in the early years of a lawyer’s career. In part two, we continue our study of “The Game of Life” and the financial crossroads we come to. Big OE…

Lawyers Complaints Service: Percentage billing inappropriate

A lawyers standards committee has ordered a lawyer, B, who invoiced an estate $22,754.68 on a “percentage of the estate” billing method, to reduce his legal fees to $6,000 plus GST and disbursements. The estate was not very high value nor did the standards committee consider it a complex or difficult…