Esther Bennett joins Buddle Findlay

Esther Bennett has joined Buddle Findlay's Wellington office as a senior solicitor in the firm's environment and resource management team. Before joining Buddle Findlay, Esther worked in the regulatory and professional discipline team at a London-based law firm. Admitted as a barrister and solicitor in February 2012, she has previously worked for…

Don Mackinnon appointed to IAAF Panel

The managing partner of Auckland employment law firm SBM Legal, Don Mackinnon, has been appointed to the three-person independent International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Vetting Panel. The inaugural panel has been appointed to act until the 2019 IAAF Congress. It was appointed following a recruitment process where 37 people were…

Timothy Orr joins Martelli McKegg

Timothy Orr has joined Auckland law firm Martelli McKegg as an associate in their trusts and estates team. He advises on all aspects of trust creation and administration, estate administration and asset planning matters. Tim was previously the ADLSi Documents and Precedents Manager before spending three years in an Auckland-based firm.

Name change and promotions for GTODD Law

GTODD Law of Queenstown will change its name to Todd & Walker Law from 1 April 2017. The firm has also welcomed a new partner and has promoted a number of staff. Michael Walker has become partner. Immediately before joining the firm Michael was General Counsel for Queenstown Lakes District Council…

Shehan de Silva joins Corcoran French partnership

Corcoran French of Christchurch has appointed Shehan de Silva as a partner. Admitted in December 2010, Shehan worked in Auckland before transferring to Christchurch as an in-house lawyer. He joined Corcoran French in 2014. His main areas of practice are property, rural and commercial law and he has a background in negotiating…

Auckland legal academic on award shortlist

A tax research paper by Auckland University Law School Professor Craig Elliffe has been shortlisted for the Frans Vanistendael 2017 Award for International Tax Law. Professor Elliffe.  Six research papers have been nominated for the prestigious award, which recognises the world's best international tax research. Professor Elliffe's paper is entitled The Lesser of…

NZ firm joint winner in Financial Review Client Choice Awards

Bell Gully was a joint winner in the Financial and Insurance Services industry award in the Australian Financial Review Client Choice Awards 2017. The awards are made to professional services providers in law, accounting, consulting engineering and management consulting, and are open to New Zealand and Australian entrants. They are researched…

Su'a Hellene Wallwork new Samoa Law Society President

Samoa lawyer Su'a Hellene Wallwork has become the new President of the Samoa Law Society. Ms Wallwork is a partner at Wallwork Lam Lawyers, a Director of the Electric Power Corporation and Honorary Consul of Sweden in Samoa. She takes over as President from Savalenoa Mareva Betham-Annandale. Salma Hazelman becomes Vice-President of…

Clare Sinnott joins Minter Ellison Rudd Watts

Clare Sinnott has joined Minter Ellison Rudd Watts as a Special Counsel and will be based in the Wellington office. Clare has expertise across the range of environmental work, from obtaining and managing designations, consents and other authorisations for infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients to advising on the environmental aspects of…

Winners of NZLS Legal Executive Diploma prizes announced

Eleanor Howell has won the prize for the top graduating student in the 2016 Legal Executive Diploma examinations conducted by the New Zealand Law Society. The examinations were held at 23 New Zealand venues as well as 14 overseas venues in late October 2016, with 879 candidates sitting 1111 examinations covering…