Veteran Auckland practitioner Georgina Grant, with nearly 30 years’ experience, has learned that “out of character” is no defence when you stonewall the regulator. At a New Zealand Lawyers & Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal hearing last month the panel signalled it would censure Grant, find her guilty of misconduct, suspend her for four months, and order […]
A Wake-Up Call for Every Criminal Lawyer In a moment that has already gone viral internationally, Christchurch District Court Judge Tom Gilbert has put lawyers on notice – if your client’s apology letter reads like it was drafted by ChatGPT – it probably was. And the court is not impressed. The case involved Michae Ngaire
Ed Smithies joins MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ Tier 1 real estate team from 2 March 2026, further strengthening the firm’s commitment to delivering exceptional property solutions and client service. With extensive experience in major capital market transactions, commercial investments, and large scale developments, Ed brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success in the property
NZ Law – Former Wynn Williams Partner Joins MinterEllisonRuddWatts Read More »
Two staff members at a New Zealand law firm have been hit with a formal unsatisfactory conduct finding after a Standards Committee concluded their private email exchanges about a colleague crossed the line into racism. LawFuel’s Law Jobs’ Network has New Jobs Daily The exchanges were uncovered by a third party through the firm’s email
NZ Law Society slams Racist Email Conduct by Law Firm Staff as ‘unsatisfactory’ Read More »
Body Corporate 207624 v Grimshaw & Co [2026] NZSC 5 17 February 2026 >> New Zealand’s Latest Law Jobs on LawFuel Jobs The Supreme Court has dismissed the Body Corporate 207624’s application for leave to appeal against Grimshaw & Co in a long-running professional negligence claim arising from the leaky building proceedings for the Spencer
Law Firm Resists Body Corporate Attempt To Appeal Negligence Claim Read More »
If you ever wondered how the LawFuel editorial team might sanitise a legal soap opera, consider this your briefing note. A sitting (well “former” but still pretty judge-y) High Court judge has successfully steered a squabble over her share in the family bach away from the glaring lights of open court and into the subdued
Bach, Bench and Backrooms – NZ High Court Judge Wins Private Arbitration Over Open Court Read More »
The legal profession has a mathematics problem. Women now constitute the majority of law school graduates, comprise over half of associates at major firms, and represent 47% of all lawyers globally.
Yet when the elevator reaches the executive floor, the numbers tell a different story: just two in ten law firm leaders are women (although when they do reach the top women legal leaders are making a difference).
The latest research from the International Bar Association’s Raising the Bar: Women in Law project confirms what many practitioners have long suspected – the profession is experiencing a spectacular leakage of female talent somewhere between the mid-career mark and the managing partner’s office.
The Numbers That Should Keep Managing Partners Awake
The IBA’s December 2024 Progress Report, synthesizing data from 11 countries across five continents, reveals the uncomfortable arithmetic:
Women In Law Firm Leadership: The Stubborn 20% Ceiling That Won’t Crack Read More »
The Northern Club Chronicles . . District Court Judge Ema Aitken has done something most judges spend their careers avoiding: she’s given evidence under oath about her own conduct, before a panel that will advise the Attorney-General on whether she ought to keep her job. >> In-House Legal Role – Taupo location – A top
Judge Aitken In The Witness Box: “I Didn’t Know It Was Political” Read More »
>> See NZ Law Jobs Listed Daily on LawFuel Jobs The firm’s new year promotions and appointments include a new Partner* in the firm’s Band 1 Financial Services practice, as well as six special counsel and six senior associates in banking, construction, energy, litigation, employment, public law, private wealth, corporate and commercial practices. MinterEllisonRuddWatts Chief
NZ Law – MinterEllisonRuddWatts has announced 13 promotions and appointments Read More »
The unprecedented Judicial Conduct Panel hearing into New Zealand District Court Judge Ema Aitken’s alleged disruption of a political function has intensified, with defence counsel dismissing witness testimony as exaggerated and politically motivated. >> Top InHouse Law Role – Plus Other Roles on LawFuel’s Network Judge Aitken—the first New Zealand judge to face such proceedings—is
