Women Storm The LawFuel Power List of New Zealand’s Most Powerful Lawyers

Women Storm The LawFuel Power List of New Zealand's Most Powerful Lawyers

More women than ever make the top 50 most powerful and influential lawyers in New Zealand on LawFuel list

The top fifty in LawFuel Power Law list of the country’s most influencial lawyers in the Power List includes more women than ever, with 23 women making the list, the highest in the five years’ the list has been published.

Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 21)

Dame Patsy Reddy, outgoing Governor General once again leads the list in the top two, but the are a number of female newcomers too, including the much higher ranking popular Law Society President and former LawFuel Lawyer of the Year Tiana Epati.

Six of the top 10 most influencial lawyers are women.

Among the new entrants are our other Lawyer of the Year Cassie Nicholson and also a major power player in the corridors of power, Tania Warburton, who enters the list at number 15, lifted in part by her key role with pandemic issues but also as a central player in the small but powerful Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The LawFuel Power List of New Zealand’s most influential lawyers has been published for five years and draws its list criteria from those practising at the bar, in-house counsel and practitioners as well as from LawFuel’s editorial panel.

Also entering the power list is Treasury Solicitor Anthea Williams (26), Allison Arthur-Young (40=) the Russell MC
Veagh chair and ranking alongside Victoria Casey QC. and Otago Law School dean Jessica Palmer (41).

Anne Brennan, the chief legal adviser at MBIE, has lifted her place from 43 last year to 28, also as a result of the key role she and her powerful department play in the pandemic, as well as other key economic drivers including building and housing.

Also in the list is former LawFuel Lawyer of the Year Stacey Shortall of MinterEllison, a major influencer and philanthropic advocate apart from being an accomplished commercial lawyer. She sits at position 46 alongside new entrant Setareh Stianstra who has played a significant role as a public law barrister.

One of the impressive new entrants is Maori law advocate Natalie Coates with two first class honours degrees and a recent major win in the posthumous appeal on behalf of Christchurch creche worker Peter Ellis.

New Power List Entrants

In all the Power List contains 16 new entrants ranging across the legal profession and including the two recently elevated heads of two of the largest law firms, Chapman Tripp and Bell Gully.

As influential and powerful law firms the managing partners of the three major law firms all have significant power within the profession. One of the rising stars that has made the list is former Chapman Tripp lawyer Daniel Kalderimis at no. 43, while one of the fast-rising of the law influencers is profile Silk Davey Salmon who enters the list at no. 32, listing equally with SFO chief Julie Read.

The Power List is based on submissions from lawyers, in-house counsel and other senior members of the profession who advise the LawFuel editors on relative rankings.

See the full list here

>> Latest Jobs on the LawFuel Network here – SFO position – Inhouse legal – Junior commercial – Litigation . . The specialist law jobs network

ReFuel with the top law news weekly that's fun to read
Powered by ConvertKit
Scroll to Top