Mr Barton is a partner at Anderson Lloyd and is based in Dunedin. He served as the Vice President (South Island) on the Law Society Board until November 2022, and chaired the People and Capabilities Committee. Frazer has extensive governance experience outside the Law Society as well, serving on the boards and councils of the University of Otago, Columba College and Presbyterian Support Otago.

Mr Barton is the first South Island-based President of the Law Society since Austin Forbes KC, who was president from 1993-1996.

“It is a privilege to have the trust and confidence of the legal profession to continue to serve them and the wider public as President,” Mr Barton said.

“I am proud of the work the Law Society and the wider profession are doing to modernise, transform and adapt. I am honoured to have the chance to continue serve the legal community on that journey.

"The Independent Review is critical for shaping the future of the Law Society and the regulation of lawyers. This work to ensure we transform and modernise is essential to meeting the needs of modern Aotearoa New Zealand and maintaining the trust and confidence in the legal profession.

“We all join the legal profession to serve the communities in which we live. Whether that be in our biggest cities or our smallest towns, every one of the over 16,000 lawyers in Aotearoa New Zealand plays a part. I am grateful for all of the work lawyers do each and every day to help build a country and a profession which we can all be immensely proud of.”

Presidents of the Law Society are elected on an annual basis and usually serve for three years. More information on the presidential election process can be found here: NZLS | Law Society elections for President-Elect: how voting works