My areas of Expertise

Specialist Practice Areas

Industry Expertise

What I like about my work

I enjoy being involved in my clients’ businesses and the creativity required in the early stages of deals. It’s great to start with a blank sheet of paper and no pre-conceived ideas and then brainstorm strategies and structures with my clients, which result in positive and successful outcomes.

What I’ve done in the past

I decided I wanted to be a commercial lawyer when I was 11! Maths was my strongest subject at school and so I combined an accounting degree with my LL.B. I started out tutoring accounting and marking accounting exams at the University of Otago but then decided that academia wasn’t for me and that I really did still want to be a lawyer!

I became a partner in a Southland law firm in 1989. I joined Anderson Lloyd as a partner in 2001.

My approach to working with my clients

The clients I most enjoy working with are those with whom I have built a close, ongoing relationship. I like meeting with my clients when they have a goal in mind but haven’t thought about how to achieve it. I seek to understand what is going on and then to bring different ideas to the table.

I help my clients to get the result they want when they want it. I always try to bring something to the deal beyond what they’ve thought of themselves. I recognise that getting the commercial outcome is key and that the law needs to work for the deal rather than the other way around.

What I enjoy at work

After all these years I am still passionate about law. I enjoy turning up to work every day and helping clients and staff to achieve their goals.

The people I work with are great – they have some fantastic skills and strengths. I also really like the entrepreneurial nature of my clients and what they do. I get a buzz out of others getting a buzz.

What I enjoy outside of work

I am a collector of big boys toys, including motorbikes, cars, and an assortment of slightly out-there records from the 1960s and 70s. I also enjoy skiing, travelling to Europe, and wine (but not while riding my bikes!).

What I enjoy about living in the South Island

I just love the place – Queenstown and the South Island as a whole. I like the down-to-earth people and the business opportunities. It’s amazing how many entrepreneurial people there are in the South Island who stay below the radar and work in the most unexpected industries.