Law firm leaders are Women of Influence

Women leaders of law firms are once again demonstrating that they are women of influence in New Zealand society. Following in the footsteps of Stacey Shortall (2015), Althea Carbon (2014) and Mai Chen (2013), two women law firm leaders have been named among the finalists of the 2016 Women of…

‘Influencing’ a key word

"I am thrilled to have been selected as a finalist [in the Women of Influence Awards]. It's a great honour," says Anthony Harper Chief Executive Officer Lisa Jacobs. When she took up her new role in February this year, Ms Jacobs became one of the first female CEOs of a major…

Maximising the benefits of superdiversity

"I knew I had been nominated [for the Women of Influence Awards], but I didn't expect to get selected as a finalist," Chen Palmer partner Marina Matthews told LawTalk. "I was quite surprised and humbled really, just looking at the other women that are on the list. And it is good…

From the Law Society

Women leaders in the lawFrom the time Ethel Benjamin decided to study law at Otago University, becoming the first woman in Australasia to undertake a law degree, women have made their mark in the profession. When she enrolled at Otago in 1893, Ms Benjamin did not know whether she would be…

Our Profession, Our People

James Wilding has been appointed convenor of the Mental Health Review Tribunal. He continues to practice from chambers in Christchurch. Lowndes Jordan partner Rick Shera has been appointed to the new CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) Establishment Advisory Board. The board will provide advice to the Minister for Communications and the…

Wellington lawyer a top ironman competitor

Wellington lawyer Natalie Gaskin has another string to her bow. She is also a top New Zealand athlete, competing in ironman events. Right now she is preparing for the World Ironman Championship, being held in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, on 8 October. Just a few days ago, on 4 September, she competed in the…

Hawke’s Bay branch President re-elected

Alison Souness was re-elected President of the Law Society's Hawke's Bay branch at the branch's annual meeting on 11 August. Ms Souness is a partner of the Hastings firm Souness Stone Law Partnership, which she established with her husband Richard Stone around 21 years ago – just one week after…

Opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela

Lawyer Eben Kitching, who hails from South Africa, is a New Zealand Law Society Inspector, but before he landed on New Zealand shores 14 years ago, he specialised in public and tax law, financial investigations and conveyancing. A large chunk of the conveyancing work was buried in land resettlement work in…

Making a Murderer defence attorneys visiting NZ to talk wrongful convictions

The defence lawyers that represented Steven Avery, whose case featured in the Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer, are coming to New Zealand, aiming to highlight the implications of wrongful convictions. New Zealand is not immune to controversial convictions that have since been quashed with both Arthur Allan Thomas and Teina…

Succession planning – is your law firm getting it right?

The topic of succession planning comes up frequently when I work with law firms across New Zealand. This, no doubt, is symptomatic of the ageing baby boomers’ era and the multi-generational transfer of wealth. Getting succession planning right is critical for any lawyer or law firm. Unless you plan to close…

Education dispute resolvers – do we need them?

As the 2016 Australia and New Zealand Education Law Association (ANZELA) conference, to be held in Auckland on 28-30 September, grows closer, with its theme of Compliance, Creativity and Culture, it is interesting to see how many sessions will, in one way or another, explore approaches to dispute resolution in…

A fair exchange of information can lead to early resolution

I am often told by lawyers that mediation cannot possibly occur until after discovery (and often the exchange of briefs of evidence). It seems we need every last scrap of paper available before making a decision to resolve a dispute. But is this really necessary? In some cases, yes; in many…

Joint Māori-Samoan law conference a great success

The inaugural conference between the Māori Law Society and the Samoan Law Society proved very successful, according to Aidan Warren, co-President of Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa (the Māori Law Society). Held in Apia, Samoa, in July the joint conference had the theme “Where is our Island? – Navigating the…

Leadership focus for Māori law conference

Leadership will be a key focus at this year’s Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa/Māori Law Society (THRMoA) Hui-ā-Tau, which will be held in Queenstown from 17 to 19 November. The overarching theme of the conference is He aha to kai a te Rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero,…

RealMe coming down the track for Landonline users

In 2017 the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) will begin to change the Landonline property title registration service. Planning is well advanced for a new service called Advanced System and Title Services, or ASaTS, and by 2021 this will replace Landonline. The phasing-in process begins next year. The ASaTS service utilises…

Should lawyers retire or just keep ploughing on?

When it comes to the topic of retirement and money, there is a lot to cover, so this article will be delivered in two parts over two issues. Today, many of us are living much longer. Exciting options beckon after fulfilling careers, and increased health and prosperity allow us to embark…

New Zealand, foreign trusts and the Panama papers

A shocking financial conspiracy of silence emerged on 3 April 2016 when an anonymous whistleblower known only as “John Doe” leaked over 11,500,000 documents from the Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca to a German newspaper, Suddeutsche Zeitung. These leaked documents exposed secret asset shifting and tax avoidance which affected almost every…

New project to prepare NZ for technology change impacts

Technology affects virtually every area of our daily lives, and the pace of change has law-makers and bureaucrats struggling to keep up. Now the Law Foundation has launched an important project that tackles the challenges and opportunities of technology change head-on. Our Information Law and Policy Project, launched at Parliament last month…

NZLS supports deceased organ donor register consideration

The New Zealand Law Society says it supports further consideration of a register of organ donors. In a submission on the Ministry of Health discussion document Increasing Rates of Deceased Organ Donation, the Law Society says while tweaking the driving licence regime is a good option for improving the recording of…

Lawyers Complaints Service: Fined on four unsatisfactory conduct counts

A legal executive who gave inadequate advice and also acted in a “hopelessly conflicted situation” has been censured and fined $2,000 by a lawyers standards committee. The legal executive, B, acted for a Mr C’s estate and on matters relating to Mr C’s family trust. In his will, Mr C appointed…